Statehood 1846

Iowa

Iowa was claimed by France from 1682 as part of Louisiana, then ceded to Spain in 1762 following the Seven Years' War, with both powers exercising only loose political control over the region. Spain retroceded Louisiana to France in 1800–1801, and France quickly sold it to the United States in the Louisiana Purchase of 1803. Effective U.S. control was established only after the War of 1812 and a series of treaties with Native Americans, after which the Iowa Territory was organized on July 3, 1838. Iowa was admitted to the Union as a state on December 28, 1846.

Statehood
1846
Historic sites
2,548
Military engagements
38

Pre-contact era

Native Americans have resided in what is now Iowa for thousands of years. The written history of Iowa begins with proto-historic accounts of Native Americans by explorers such as Marquette and Joliet in the 1680s. Until the early 19th century Iowa was occupied exclusively by Native Americans and a few European traders.

Colonial history

France had loose political control over Iowa; the area was not widely developed due to a lack of human and financial resources.

There was little Spanish presence in the wide expanses of what they called the 'Illinois Country', which included present-day Iowa. The primary article describes this as 'loose political control by France and Spain' until the early 19th century.

France's second period of control was brief; Napoleon made plans to further develop France's control but sold the territory strained by operations in the Caribbean and Europe.

Uncontested U.S. control over what is now Iowa occurred only after the War of 1812 and after a series of treaties eliminated Indian claims on the state. Euro-American settlements began appearing in the 1830s.

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Native Heritage
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Historical Maps
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Literature
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Explore Iowa records

2,548
National Register historic sites
National Register listings ›
38
Military engagements
Military history records ›
2
Civil War regiments
Union, Confederate, USCT ›
25
Indigenous groups
Heritage records ›
6
Notable figures
Born in Iowa ›
7
Colonial-era events
1492 to early statehood ›
1
Archaeological sites
Prehistoric sites ›
Iowa counties
Census population history ›
Sources

State history content adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Historic sites data: National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

About Iowa

When did Iowa become a state?
Iowa was admitted to the Union in 1846.
What European powers colonized Iowa?
The territory that became Iowa passed through several colonial periods. France had loose political control over Iowa; the area was not widely developed due to a lack of human and financial resources. There was little Spanish presence in the wide expanses of what they called the 'Illinois Country', which included present-day Iowa. The primary article describes this as 'loose political control by France and Spain' until the early 19th century. France's second period of
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