Aug
20
Journey Into Statehood
Filed Under Utah Business
Mike Morley asked:
As a new election season began, my thoughts once again turned to our founding fathers and their impassioned efforts to secure for us, the succeeding generations, through the formation of a Constitution, the inalienable rights and liberties won through years of struggle and battle. Likely, it was the re-dedication of the newly refurbished Utah State Capitol Building and the legislature’s return to their historic chambers that has caused me to reminisce and think more of the founding fathers of this great State of Utah. I hope you will indulge me as I share briefly the lesser-known history of our own Utah Constitution.
As early as 1849, a constitutional convention was organized in the hopes of obtaining statehood. Of course, the dreams were a bit loftier back then as the first convention created the state of Deseret which encompassed all or part of the current states of Utah, Nevada, Arizona, California, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Oregon and Idaho. Lacking the required 60,000 eligible voters (free and male), the federal government gave little consideration to this attempt.
Five subsequent constitutional conventions and attempts at statehood in 1855, 1861, 1872, 1882, and 1887 met similar fates. I can only imagine the hope, anxiety, and eventual frustration that accompanied each request. Finally, in 1894, some 45 years after the first convention was convened, Congress passed the Enabling Act which provided specific steps the Territory of Utah must take to achieve statehood.
On November 6, 1894, 107 delegates were elected from across the territory to frame a new constitution. I find it interesting that this is only three more than the number of current legislators. Like our current legislature, the convention delegates represented every part of the state and many walks of life from agriculture to finance to business owners and educators. And, like our current legislature, the majority were Republicans. Bringing with them varying opinions and life experience, they set aside egos and differences and for 65 days from March 4 to May 8, 1895, they worked to formalize our state’s constitution. Ratified in the general election that fall, the new constitution took effect on January 4, 1896 when Utah was proclaimed a state by Pres. Grover Cleveland. The Constitution of Utah, although patterned after the U.S. Constitution and several state constitutions, contained provisions unique to our state including:
• Giving women the right to vote
• Banning lotteries
• Requiring a balanced budget
• Establishing public schooling “free from sectarian control”
I express my gratitude to the great founding fathers of our state and to modern-day patriots among us for whom the motto of the convention, “Our liberties we prize and our rights we maintain” still has great meaning.
Milburn
As a new election season began, my thoughts once again turned to our founding fathers and their impassioned efforts to secure for us, the succeeding generations, through the formation of a Constitution, the inalienable rights and liberties won through years of struggle and battle. Likely, it was the re-dedication of the newly refurbished Utah State Capitol Building and the legislature’s return to their historic chambers that has caused me to reminisce and think more of the founding fathers of this great State of Utah. I hope you will indulge me as I share briefly the lesser-known history of our own Utah Constitution.
As early as 1849, a constitutional convention was organized in the hopes of obtaining statehood. Of course, the dreams were a bit loftier back then as the first convention created the state of Deseret which encompassed all or part of the current states of Utah, Nevada, Arizona, California, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Oregon and Idaho. Lacking the required 60,000 eligible voters (free and male), the federal government gave little consideration to this attempt.
Five subsequent constitutional conventions and attempts at statehood in 1855, 1861, 1872, 1882, and 1887 met similar fates. I can only imagine the hope, anxiety, and eventual frustration that accompanied each request. Finally, in 1894, some 45 years after the first convention was convened, Congress passed the Enabling Act which provided specific steps the Territory of Utah must take to achieve statehood.
On November 6, 1894, 107 delegates were elected from across the territory to frame a new constitution. I find it interesting that this is only three more than the number of current legislators. Like our current legislature, the convention delegates represented every part of the state and many walks of life from agriculture to finance to business owners and educators. And, like our current legislature, the majority were Republicans. Bringing with them varying opinions and life experience, they set aside egos and differences and for 65 days from March 4 to May 8, 1895, they worked to formalize our state’s constitution. Ratified in the general election that fall, the new constitution took effect on January 4, 1896 when Utah was proclaimed a state by Pres. Grover Cleveland. The Constitution of Utah, although patterned after the U.S. Constitution and several state constitutions, contained provisions unique to our state including:
• Giving women the right to vote
• Banning lotteries
• Requiring a balanced budget
• Establishing public schooling “free from sectarian control”
I express my gratitude to the great founding fathers of our state and to modern-day patriots among us for whom the motto of the convention, “Our liberties we prize and our rights we maintain” still has great meaning.
Milburn
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