Territorial Timeline

Enabling Act for Statehood passed Congress

Enabling Act for Statehood passed Congress on February 22, 1889 (George Washington's Birthday). In December of 1888 an act was introduced in Congress to "enable" Washington, North Dakota, South Dakota and Montana to become states. Among other requirements, each prospective state was required to draft and ratify a state constitution.

In the Congressional elections of 1888, the Republicans gained control of the House of Representatives and for the first time in many years, they increased their majority in the U.S. Senate. Republican Benjamin Harrison was elected President. For years the Democrats had been ignoring the pleas of the western territories for admission into the Union because they knew that Washington and the other western territories would send Republican Representatives and Senators to Congress, ending the Democratic Party's majority, at least in the U.S. Senate. As it turned out, the Democrats were right; it was not until 1923, 34 years after becoming a state, that Washington sent its first Democrat to the U.S. Senate.