Why did it take so long for the Southwest to become states?

Buzz

Banned
From my reading, it seemed to me that both Arizona and New Mexico had the population to become states long they did 1912. Why did it take so long to become states when the rest of the West became states before 1900 (other then Oklahoma but it wasn't open to White settlement until latter)
 
I think it was partly racism due to large amounts of Hispanics, plus low population, and maybe the sizable Mormon population of Arizona.

Oh, and Taft delayed Arizona a few years trying to get them to have a more powerful judiciary.
 

TinyTartar

Banned
Low population as well as relatively loose governmental authority and in the case of New Mexico, fears about the loyalty of the population for quite a while.

I'd also say that there was substantial lobbying by railroad companies to keep them territories for a while. Both states, while territories, were ruled essentially as fiefs for railroad companies through influence with the territorial governor, something that was not sustainable elsewhere because of highly organized population groups of white settlers.
 

Germaniac

Donor
Well Zachary Taylor really pushed for a much larger new mexico to be admitted as is... And it really was a close call back in 1850. His death pretty much sealed its fate. He even called for it in his addresses to congress... When I get home I'll pull some excerpts.

I have less faith in the idea that the number of Hispanics in the territory was a deciding factor since it was already a fact that they were all us citizens. That was really more of a problem later in the 19th century.
 
I'd also say that there was substantial lobbying by railroad companies to keep them territories for a while. Both states, while territories, were ruled essentially as fiefs for railroad companies through influence with the territorial governor, something that was not sustainable elsewhere because of highly organized population groups of white settlers.

This one actually made a lot of sense given the influence of the Santa Fe and Southern Pacific railroads through what became Arizona and New Mexico. But interestingly, both became states long after Utah became a state once the Mormons officially renounced polygamy.
 
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