Nevada is a state in the Western region of the United States. Nevada is officially known as the “Silver State” because of the importance of silver to its history and economy. It is also known as the “Battle Born State” because it achieved statehood during the American Civil War (the words “Battle Born” also appear on the state flag); as the “Sagebrush State”, for the native plant of the same name; and as the “Sage-hen State”. The name means “snowfall” in Spanish, referring to Nevada’s small overlap with the Sierra Nevada mountain rang.
American Indians of the Paiute, Shoshone, and Washoe tribes inhabited what is now Nevada. The first Europeans to explore the region were Spanish. They called the region Nevada (snowy) because of the snow which covered the mountains in winter similar to the Sierra Nevada in Spain. The area formed part of Alta California’s territory within the Viceroyalty of New Spain, which gained independence as Mexico in 1821.
The United States annexed the area in 1848 after its victory in the Mexican–American War, and it was incorporated as part of Utah Territory in 1850. The discovery of silver at the Comstock Lode in 1859 led to a population boom that became an impetus to the creation of Nevada Territory out of western Utah Territory in 1861. Nevada became the 36th state on October 31, 1864, as the second of two states added to the Union during the Civil War (the first being West Virginia).
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