president james k. polk was president when iowa became a state.
who was president when iowa became a state?
president james k. polk
during the formation of a state government for iowa, briggs was nominated to run on democratic ticket. he faced during primary vote two well known democratic opponents — judge jesse williams of jefferson county, iowa, who was a secretary of iowa territory, and william thompson of henry county, iowa, secretary of the 1846 iowa state constitutional convention. briggs's campaign was centered on the promise of no outside businesses, including banks, having influence in his administration. he had once made a toast at a political banquet, "no banks but earth, and they well tilled". this became his gubernatorial campaign slogan. the democratic convention was held in iowa city on september 24, 1846. the vote for democratic candidacy for governor resulted in briggs getting sixty-two votes, jesse williams receiving thirty-two, and william thompson, thirty-one. williams and thompson withdrew and briggs was chosen by acclamation. the election for iowa's first governor was held on october 28, 1846, with briggs winning with 7,626 votes over his opponent thomas mcknight, a dubuque lawyer running on a whig ticket, who received 7,379 votes. on december 28, 1846, iowa became the 29th state in the union when president james k. polk signed iowa's admission bill into law.
ansel briggs
as with racial equality, iowa was a vanguard in women's rights in the mid-19th century, but was slow to give women the right to vote. in 1847, the university of iowa became the first public university in the u.s. to admit men and women on an equal basis. in 1869, iowa became the first state in the union to admit women to the practice of law, with the court ruling women may not be denied the right to practice law in iowa and admitting arabella a. mansfield to the practice of law. several attempts to grant full voting rights to iowa women were defeated between 1870 and 1919. in 1894 women were given "partial suffrage", which allowed them to vote on issues, but not for candidates. it was not until the nineteenth amendment to the united states constitution was ratified in 1920 that women had full suffrage in iowa. although iowa supported the federal equal rights amendment, in 1980 and 1992 iowa voters rejected an equal rights amendment to the state constitution. iowa did add the word "women" to the iowa constitution in 1998. after amendment, it reads: "all men and women are, by nature, free and equal, and have certain inalienable rights – among which are those of enjoying and defending life and liberty, acquiring, possessing and protecting property, and pursuing and obtaining safety and happiness."
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