The Road to Statehood: Arizona’s History and Economic Evolution and Economy

Objectives and Key Inquiry Points

• What was the pre-territorial history of Arizona, specifically regarding Spanish and Mexican control?
• What were the major economic factors that drove population growth in the Arizona Territory?
• What were the primary mining industries established in the region?
• What were the five principal reasons that Arizona’s application for statehood was delayed?
• What was the process that allowed the Arizona Territory to eventually achieve statehood?
• For what reason did President William Howard Taft initially veto the Arizona constitution?
• What specific amendment was required to be made to the Arizona constitution to secure statehood?
• What are the “5 Cs” of the Arizona economy?

Pre-Territorial History and the Path to U.S. Acquisition

• Spanish Colonization and Industrialization:
  • Upon arriving in the New World, the Spanish speculated that the land now known as Arizona contained significant mineral and metal wealth.
  • Spain began the industrialization of mining in the region, establishing mines on Native American lands.
  • They utilized the labor of enslaved Native peoples and African people to operate these mine sites.
• Mexican Independence (1821):
  • In $1821$, Mexico gained its independence from the Spanish Crown.
  • Immediately after achieving independence, Mexico abolished the practice of slavery.
• The Mexican-American War (1846-1848):
  • President James Polk promoted the concept of Manifest Destiny, the belief that the United States was divinely destined to occupy the entirety of North America from the Atlantic to the Pacific (“sea to shining sea”).
  • This geopolitical ideology contributed to the outbreak of the Mexican-American War ($1846$-$1848$).
  • In $1848$, the war concluded with the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. Mexico ceded approximately half of its landholdings to the United States, including portions of Arizona, New Mexico, and several other modern states.
• The Gadsden Purchase (1854):
  • Under President James Buchanan, the U.S. purchased the remaining southern portion of the Arizona and New Mexico territory from Mexico.
  • The transaction cost the United States $\$10 \text{ million}$.
  • The U.S. acquired approximately $29,670 \text{ square miles}$ of land.
  • The primary motivation for this purchase was the necessity of this specific terrain for the construction of a southern transcontinental railroad.

Major Mining Industries and Economic Development

• The Gold Rush Phase:
  • The California Gold Rush of the $1840$s and $1850$s drew thousands of miners West; many stopped in Arizona to pan for gold in the Colorado River or returned to Arizona after failing to find wealth in California.
  • Arizona experienced its own “mini” gold rush during the $1860$s.
• Silver and the Population Boom:
  • In the $1870$s, the discovery of massive silver deposits led to a significant surge in the territory's population.
• The Copper Industrial Era:
  • Large copper deposits were discovered in the $1880$s, leading to another influx of miners.
  • Copper mining served as one of Arizona’s primary economic drivers from the $1880$s through the $1950$s and remains a vital industry today.
• Mineral Resources and Mining Districts identified in the region:
  • Metallic Minerals: Copper, Gold (vein and placer), Silver, Lead, Zinc, Iron, Mercury, Manganese, Uranium, and Tungsten.
  • Energy and Industrial Minerals: Coal, Oil, Natural Gas, Scaly Sand, Helium, Gypsum, Zeolites, and Asbestos.

The Arizona Territory and Delays in Statehood

• Formation: The Territory of Arizona was officially established in $1863$, having previously been part of the Territory of New Mexico.
• Jointure Conflict: In the early $1900$s, there was a proposal for Arizona to enter the Union as a single state combined with New Mexico. Republicans supported this to maintain Senate control, but Arizona voters rejected the measure.
• Five Main Reasons for Statehood Delay:
  1. Low Population: According to the $1900$ U.S. Census, Arizona had only $122,931$ residents. Congress felt this was far below the national state average of over $1 \text{ million}$ and did not warrant the same rights as larger states.
  2. Water Scarcity: Concerns existed regarding the territory's water supply, with agricultural prospects deemed “precarious.” This was later addressed by the Reclamation Act of 1902 and the construction of the Roosevelt Dam in $1911$.
  3. Partisan Politics: Arizona voters were largely Democrats, while the national government was Republican. Republicans were hesitant to grant statehood to a territory that would likely elect Democratic representatives and senators.
  4. Social and Religious Prejudice: The territory had a high population of non-English speaking Hispanics, Roman Catholics, and Mormons. Prejudice against these groups by members of the federal government contributed to the delay.
  5. Senator Beveridge’s Opposition: Senator Albert J. Beveridge (a Republican from Indiana) conducted a three-day tour of the territory in $1902$. He was disgusted by Bisbee's saloons, the rugged terrain, and the high illiteracy rate ($29\%$). He actively fought to defeat statehood bills in $1902$ and $1903$.
• Population Growth: By $1910$, the population had grown to $204,354$.

The Enabling Act of 1910 and Constitutional Convention

• The Enabling Act (Statutes at Large Volume 36, Page 557): Passed by Congress to set terms for New Mexico and Arizona to qualify for statehood.
• Provisions for Arizona:
  • A state constitution must be drafted and accepted by both territorial voters and U.S. Congress.
  • A new requirement was added: the President of the United States must personally approve the state constitution (designed to curb radical progressive Democratic influence).
  • The constitution had to explicitly ban polygamy.
  • Public schools were required to remain free from religious control.
• Timeline of the Constitution:
  • September 12, 1910: Election held for delegates to the Constitutional Convention.
  • October 10 – December 9, 1910: The Convention met in Phoenix to draft the terms.
  • February 9, 1911: The Arizona constitution was officially ratified by territorial voters.

Constitutional Crisis: The Taft Veto and Reinstatement

• The Recall of Judges: President William Howard Taft vetoed the first version of the Arizona Constitution because it included a provision allowing for the recall of judges. Taft viewed this as too radical and progressive.
• Senate Joint Resolution 57 (SJR 57): Prepared in August $1911$, this resolution conditioned Arizona’s admission upon the removal of the judicial recall provision.
• Compromise: On December 12, $1911$, Arizona voters amended the constitution to remove the recall of judges specifically to satisfy Taft, with a vote of $14,963$ for removal to $1,980$ against.
• The “Shift”: On February 14, $1912$, Arizona was admitted as the $48$th state. However, at the very next election on November 5, $1812$, voters legally reinstated the judicial recall provision by a $5$ to $1$ margin ($16,272$ for, $3,705$ against).
• Historical Anecdote: Governor George W.P. Hunt, Arizona’s first chief executive, and R.B. Sims, the warden of Florence State Prison, campaigned to abolish capital punishment. When Sims wrote to former President Taft for support, Taft reportedly replied: “Ido not believe in the abolition of capital punishment for the people of Arizona.”

Modern State Facts and Symbols

• Admission Date: February 14, $1912$ (the last of the $48$ coterminous states).
• Capital: Phoenix.
• Population: $7,151,502$ (as per the $2020$ Census).
• Geographic Size: $113,990 \text{ square miles}$.
• Nickname: The Grand Canyon State.
• Motto: Ditat Deus (“God enriches”).
• Official State Symbols:
  • Tree: Palo Verde.
  • Flower: Saguaro Cactus Blossom.
  • Bird: Cactus Wren.
• Time and Climate:
  • Arizona is one of two states that does not observe Daylight Saving Time (the exception being the Navajo Nation).
  • Climate Diversity: On May 29, $2023$, the high temperature in Phoenix was $101 \text{ degrees}$, while the low in Coconino County was $26 \text{ degrees}$.

The 5 Cs of Arizona’s Economy

1. Copper: Attracted settlers in the $18$th and $19$th centuries; by the mid-$1800$s, one in four residents were miners.
2. Cattle: Nearly $2 \text{ million}$ cows were raised in Arizona to feed the nation in the early $1900$s.
3. Cotton: “Pima cotton” was a major cash crop at the turn of the $20$th century.
4. Citrus: Irrigation enabled the farming of oranges, lemons, limes, and grapefruit.
5. Climate: Arizona averages $300$ days of sun per year and only $8 \text{ inches}$ of annual rainfall.