Government and Leaders
Who appointed the territorial governor of Dakota Territory?
The U.S. president
Where did the first governor, Dr. Jayne, live and work while in Yankton?
In a small log cabin in Yankton that also served as his office.
What town was the capital of Dakota Territory?
Yankton
Who became president in 1889 and favored statehood for Dakota?
Benjamin Harrison
On what date did Abraham Lincoln become president?
March 4, 1861.
Who was the person Lincoln appointed as Dakota’s first governor?
Dr. William Jayne (Lincoln’s personal physician)
What two houses made up the territory’s legislature?
A house of representatives and a senate.
In what part of present-day South Dakota is Yankton located?
Southeastern corner of present-day South Dakota.
What minimum population was required for a territory to become a state?
A territory needed at least 60,000 people to apply for statehood.
In what year did Dr. Jayne resign after serving two years as governor?
1863
Explain one reason why many territorial governors were unpopular with Dakota residents.
Many governors came from eastern cities and focused on pay more than local needs; they were often absent or uninterested.
What happened in the house and senate sessions that made lawmaking difficult?
Sessions were noisy and rowdy with much disagreement, wasting time.
In 1868, which two territories were separated from Dakota Territory?
Montana and Wyoming
About how many people lived in southern Dakota in 1889?
Over 340,000 people lived in southern Dakota in 1889.
Around what year did congress reorganize territories, dropping Montana and Wyoming from Dakota Territory?
1868
How was the territorial government different from state government when it came to choosing top officials?
Territorial top officials were appointed by the president rather than elected by territory residents.
Give one reason why some towns wanted the territory divided into North and South.
The northern and southern parts had different interests and cultures; residents felt they didn’t have much in common.
If Pembina Territory had been created, which part of Dakota would it have been (north or south)?
The northern part would have been named Pembina (so north).
About how many people lived in northern Dakota in 1889?
Over 150,000 people lived in northern Dakota in 1889.
For about how many years was the Pembina Territory bill introduced in Congress?
About a dozen years
Describe the power difference between Dakota’s territorial representative to Congress and a state representative.
*HINT: What couldn't territorial representatives do?
The territorial representative could attend Congress but was not allowed to vote, unlike state representatives.
Describe one way county seat disputes were sometimes decided unfairly.
People sometimes cheated in elections or stole county records at night; whoever held the records became county seat.
Explain how county sizes in Dakota Territory compared to county sizes today.
Counties were much larger than today.
Why did the Republican Party want Dakota divided into two states?
The Republican Party wanted more U.S. Senators; dividing Dakota into two states would add four senators, giving the party more power in the Senate.
Describe the legislative pattern that caused Pembina Territory never to be created (what kept failing).
The bill passed one house (Senate or House) in some years but never both in the same session, so it always failed to become law.