Territorial Evolution of The United States - 20th Century

20th Century

June 14, 1900

The annexed Hawaiian islands were organized as the Territory of Hawaii, and corresponded, except for including Palmyra Atoll, to the present-day state of Hawaii.

October 20, 1903

The Alaska boundary dispute is resolved by arbitration, generally favoring the American claim.

November 16, 1907

Oklahoma Territory and Indian Territory were combined and admitted as the 46th state, Oklahoma. Present day states and future states now have current borders.

January 6, 1912

New Mexico Territory was admitted as the 47th state, New Mexico.

February 14, 1912

Arizona Territory was admitted as the 48th state, Arizona.

August 24, 1912

The District of Alaska was organized as Alaska Territory.

March 28, 1921

The dispute over a square mile between Delaware and Pennsylvania, The Wedge, is finally resolved in favor of Delaware.

January 3, 1959

Alaska Territory was admitted as the 49th state, Alaska.

August 21, 1959

Hawaii Territory was admitted as the 50th state, Hawaii, resulting in the present-day situation of the United States. The statehood act specifically excluded Palmyra Atoll from the new state; it thus became unorganized land. Since it had been incorporated as part of the Hawaii Territory, Palmyra Atoll became the only incorporated territory left in the United States.

January 14, 1963

The Chamizal Dispute with Mexico over about 600 acres (2.4 km2) on the U.S.-Mexico border between El Paso, Texas, and Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua is resolved. It was caused by differences between the bed of the Rio Grande as surveyed in 1852 and the channel of the river in 1895.

1970

The small town of Rio Rico, Texas, was ceded to Mexico in the Boundary Treaty of 1970. The handover officially took place in 1977, and the town was added to the Mexican state of Tamaulipas, of which it had long considered itself a part. See Mexican Boundary Exchanges.

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