U.S. state: Difference between revisions

Historically, the tasks of local [[Law enforcement in the United States#State|law enforcement]], [[Education in the United States|public education]], [[Health care in the United States|public health]], intrastate commerce regulation, and local [[Transportation in the United States|transportation]] and [[infrastructure]], in addition to [[Elections in the United States|local, state, and federal elections]], have generally been considered primarily state responsibilities, although all of these now have significant federal funding and regulation as well. Over time, the Constitution has been amended, and the interpretation and application of its provisions have changed. The general tendency has been toward centralization and [[Incorporation (Bill of Rights)|incorporation]], with the federal government playing a much larger role than it once did. There is a continuing debate over [[states' rights]], which concerns the extent and nature of the states' powers and sovereignty in relation to the federal government and the rights of individuals.

==List==

* Texas, 1845, previously the [[Republic of Texas]]<ref name="StatesShapes" /><ref name=GP/><ref>{{Cite book |last=Holt |first=Michael F. |title=The fate of their country: politicians, slavery extension, and the coming of the Civil War |date=200 |publisher=Hill and Wang |isbn=978-0-8090-4439-9 |location=New York |page=15}}</ref>

* Vermont, 1791, previously the [[Vermont Republic]] (also known as the [[New Hampshire Grants]] and claimed by New York)<ref name="StatesShapes" /><ref name=GP/><ref>{{Cite web |title=The 14th State |url=https://vermonthistory.org/explorer/vermont-stories/becoming-a-state/the-14th-state |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151221065839/http://vermonthistory.org/explorer/vermont-stories/becoming-a-state/the-14th-state |archive-date=December 21, 2015 |access-date=April 8, 2016 |website=Vermont History Explorer |publisher=Vermont Historical Society}}</ref>

Congress is under no obligation to admit states, even in those areas whose population expresses a desire for statehood. Such has been the case numerous times during the nation's history. In one instance, [[Mormon pioneers]] in [[Salt Lake City]] sought to establish the state of [[State of Deseret|Deseret]] in 1849. It existed for slightly over two years and was never approved by the [[United States Congress]]. In another, leaders of the [[Five Civilized Tribes]] (Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole) in [[Indian Territory]] proposed to establish the state of [[State of Sequoyah|Sequoyah]] in 1905, as a means to retain control of their lands.<ref name="museum">{{Cite web |year=2005 |title=Museum of the Red River - The Choctaw |url=http://www.museumoftheredriver.org/choctaw.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090615223442/http://www.museumoftheredriver.org/choctaw.html |archive-date=June 15, 2009 |access-date=August 4, 2009 |publisher=Museum of the Red River |df=mdy-all}}</ref> The proposed constitution ultimately failed in the U.S. Congress. Instead, the Indian Territory and [[Oklahoma Territory]] were both incorporated into the new state of Oklahoma in 1907. The first instance occurred while the nation still operated under the Articles of Confederation. The [[State of Franklin]] existed for several years, not long after the end of the American Revolution, but was never recognized by the Confederation Congress, which ultimately recognized [[North Carolina]]'s claim of sovereignty over the area. The territory comprising Franklin later became part of the Southwest Territory, and ultimately of the state of Tennessee.