Quotes about State Admission

Jefferson Davis

… the admission, as a state, of California, from which we have been excluded by congressional agitation?

Note the perception of Davis, typical of Southerners at the time, that Southerners were being excluded from California. The logic was this: California had many opportunities in land, gold, and other natural resources. Since California had a Constitutional provision against slavery, no Southerner could enter the new state with his slaves without fear of their being set free. If Southerners bought land or wanted to hunt for gold, they could not bring their slaves to do the heavy work. Therefore, they were excluded from the economic growth of the state. The idea of the whites doing the heavy work themselves of traveling without their family slaves was so foreign to the aristocratic planter class, that it was never considered by them as a possibility. Therefore, they were excluded. However, many of the lower class Southerners of all races saw great opportunities in California where they could compete on an equal footing even though they had no slaves or land.

United States

Canada acceding to this confederation, and joining in the measures of the united states, shall be admitted into, and entitled to all the advantages of this union: but no other colony shall be admitted into the same, unless such admission be agreed to by nine states.

While not generally known, the Articles of Confederation contemplated the strong possibility that Canada would become part of the United States. However, there was too strong a Tory element in Canada and it did not happen. The Constitution was not drafted until 1787 and was ratified later. In the interim the young United States functioned under the Articles of Confederation, in a sense, our first Constitution.

George Mason

As much as I value an union of all the states, I would not admit the southern states into the union, unless they agreed to the discontinuance of this disgraceful trade, because it would bring weakness and not strength to the union.

William H. Seward

But the Constitution was made not only for southern and northern states, but for states neither northern nor southern, namely, the western states, their coming in being foreseen and provided for.

Leonard Boswell

Each state in the Union is honored in the order of when it ratified the Constitution and became a part of the United States. This September it is Iowa's turn. Iowa became the 29th state to be admitted to the union on December 28, 1846.

Heather Cox Richardson

Today, the District of Columbia has more residents than at least two other states; Puerto Rico has more than 20. With numbers like that, admitting either or both to the union is less a political power play on the Democrats' part than the late-19th-century partisan move that still warps American politics.

Robert Toombs

We had a large common domain, already added by the several States for the common benefit of all; purchase and war might make large additions to this common domain; hence the power over existing and future territories, with the stipulation to admit new States, was conferred.

Stephen Douglas

You ask me if I am in favor of admitting a slave state to the union. Whenever it becomes necessary for us to acquire more territory for our growth and progress, I am for it.

Andrew Jackson

The extension of the judiciary system of the United States is deemed to be one of the duties of the Government. One-fourth of the States in the Union do not participate in the benefits of a circuit court. To the States of Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana, admitted into the Union since the present judicial system was organized, only a district court has been allowed.

Surprising to many is the fact that the Federal Courts did not automatically get established when a new state joined the Union. Congress had to legally reorganize the Federal Court structure and appropriate additional money. In addition Senators then were elected by the State Legislatures who were not anxious to have any Federal Legal presence in their state if they could avoid it, as it might interfere with their State Court system. The Constitution provided for the Federal Courts but left it up to Congress to decide on all the details. It would not be until after the Civil War that the Federal Courts were very active in all States.

Senator Broderick

Opposition to the admission of a state into the union with a constitution prohibiting slavery, on account of such prohibition, is a policy wholly unjustifiable and unstatesmanlike, and in violation of that spirit of concession and compromise by which alone the federal constitution was, adopted, and by which alone it can be perpetuated.

See {613416} for the clause that the Southerners found so offensive.

Heather Cox Richardson

New states were supposed to join the union when they reached a certain population, but in the late 19th century, population mattered a great deal less than partisanship.

State Admission Quotes