Iowa << EYE uh wuh >> is one of the greatest farming states in the United States. It is sometimes called the Corn State and is known as “the land where the tall corn grows.” Iowa produces about a fifth of the corn grown in the United States—more than any other state. 
The pioneers who plowed the prairie sod of Iowa uncovered deep layers of rich soil. They made the grass-covered plains of Iowa bloom with vast fields of crops. Today, farms make up about 85 percent of the state’s area. Nearly 10 percent of the people of Iowa live on farms.
Iowa farmers provide about 7 percent of the nation’s food supply. The chief crops raised in the state are corn and soybeans. In addition to leading the United States in corn production, Iowa is also a top soybean producer. Iowa leads the states in the number of hogs raised for marketing—more than a fourth of the country’s total. Iowa is also a leading producer of beef cattle, eggs, and oats.
Many manufacturing industries of Iowa serve the state’s agriculture. The most important manufacturing activity in the state is food processing, particularly the processing of corn and meat products. Iowa also produces construction equipment, farm machinery, pharmaceuticals (medicinal drugs), and other products.
In 1960, for the first time in Iowa’s history, the U.S. census reported that more Iowans lived in urban areas than in rural areas. Opportunities in manufacturing and service industries in cities had caused people to move away from farms. Service industries have continued to grow since that time, and they now employ about three-fourths of the state’s workers. Des Moines, Iowa’s capital and largest city, has become a national center of the insurance industry. Other important service industries in Iowa include wholesale and retail trade, and health care. 
Iowa has produced many famous people. Herbert Hoover, the 31st president of the United States, was born in West Branch. Henry A. Wallace, who served as vice president of the United States under President Franklin D. Roosevelt, was from Iowa. Carrie Chapman Catt, an Iowa educator, became a leader in the woman-suffrage movement. Grant Wood’s paintings of rural Iowa have won fame throughout the world. Iowan Norman E. Borlaug received the 1970 Nobel Peace Prize for helping increase food production in developing countries. 
Iowa’s most famous nickname is the Hawkeye State. This nickname probably honors Black Hawk, a famous Indigenous (native) leader. Black Hawk led a group of Sauk and Fox warriors against U.S. forces in the Black Hawk War of 1832. The Sauk and Fox were defeated. In the peace settlement, they gave up a strip of land in Iowa along the Mississippi River. This land was known as the Black Hawk Purchase. In 1833, permanent settlements began there.
People
Population.
The 2020 United States census reported that Iowa had 3,190,369 people. The state’s population had increased 5 percent from the 2010 census figure of 3,046,355. According to the 2020 census, Iowa ranks 31st in population among the 50 states.
Iowa has 11 cities that have populations of more than 50,000. The largest is Des Moines, which is the state capital. Des Moines lies near the center of the state. The next largest cities in Iowa, in order of population, are Cedar Rapids, Davenport, Sioux City, Iowa City, West Des Moines, Ankeny, Waterloo, Ames, Council Bluffs, and Dubuque. About 60 percent of Iowa’s population lives in the state’s nine metropolitan statistical areas, which are entirely or partly within the state.
About 35 percent of the people of Iowa live in the state’s rural areas, and many of these rural residents live on farms. Iowa has one of the largest farm populations in the United States.
About 80 percent of Iowans are non-Hispanic white people. The state’s largest population groups include people of Dutch, English, German, Irish, Norwegian, and Swedish descent. Hispanic Americans, who may be of any race, make up 7 percent of the population. African Americans account for 4 percent, and Asians make up 2 percent.
Schools.
Iowa’s first school opened in 1830 near what is now Galland in Lee County. The school was a small log cabin built by Isaac Galland, a physician.
The territorial legislature of Iowa created a system of free public schools in 1839. Iowa established a system of free high schools in 1911. The state also established one of the first public schools for children with physical disabilities in the United States. This school, the David W. Smouse Opportunity School, opened in Des Moines in 1931.
A 10-member State Board of Education directs Iowa’s accredited public schools. The governor appoints 9 voting members to terms of six years and a nonvoting student member to a one-year term. The governor also appoints a state director of education, who serves as the board’s executive officer for a four-year term.
In 1965, the legislature authorized the establishment of community colleges. A number of these colleges are in operation.
Iowa law requires children to attend school from age 6 to 16 unless they are being homeschooled. For the number of students and teachers in Iowa, see Education (table: Students, teachers, and school expenditures).
Libraries.
The first public library in Iowa was established in Fairfield in 1853. Along with the public libraries that serve the cities and towns, regional library systems provide backup library services. The State Library of Iowa in Des Moines has legal, medical, U.S. census, U.S. patents, and state document information. Books, newspapers, and other materials on Iowa history are housed in libraries operated by the State Historical Society of Iowa in Des Moines and Iowa City. The Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum in West Branch has the public papers of the 31st president of the United States. Major academic libraries include those at the University of Iowa, Iowa State University, the University of Northern Iowa, and Drake University.
Museums.
The Sanford Museum and Planetarium in Cherokee features exhibits on archaeology, astronomy, and geology. The Grout Museum of History & Science in Waterloo has exhibits on natural history and pioneer life, and a planetarium. American and European paintings and sculptures are displayed at the Des Moines Art Center. The Science Center of Iowa in Des Moines has science and technology exhibits.
The State Historical Society of Iowa in Des Moines features exhibits on the history of Iowa. The University of Iowa in Iowa City has museums of natural history and art. The Putnam Museum & Science Center in Davenport has displays on regional history, natural history, and science. The Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum in Decorah features exhibits on Norwegian culture in the United States.
Visitor’s guide
Iowa’s many lakes and streams offer vacationers fine boating, fishing, and swimming. In fall, hunters seek a variety of small game. Many people enjoy hiking in the rugged northeastern part of Iowa, especially in autumn, when the wooded hills are a mass of brilliant color.
The Iowa State Fair is one of the most important annual events in Iowa. This popular fair, which offers many agricultural and industrial exhibits as well as games and rides, is held in Des Moines in August. Ethnic festivals, sports competitions, historical reenactments, and other colorful celebrations are also popular in Iowa, especially during the summer.
Land and climate
Land regions.
During the Pleistocene Epoch, which ended about 11,500 years ago, glaciers moved over the land that is now Iowa. This action was part of the vast glacial movement that helped form the fertile Midwestern Corn Belt. The great ice sheets cut off hilltops and filled valleys with rich soil, creating the plains that make up most of Iowa. The glaciers crossed different parts of the area. As a result, three separate land regions were formed. These regions are (1) the Dissected Till Plains, (2) the Young Drift Plains, and (3) the Driftless Area.
The Dissected Till Plains
extend across the entire southern section of the state. They also reach along the Missouri and Big Sioux rivers into the northwestern corner. This region was covered by the first glaciers that reached Iowa. These glaciers left vast quantities of till (layers of soil and rocks) on the plains. For thousands of years, streams dissected (cut into) the plains and formed many low, rolling hills and ridges. Winds spread much of the fertile soil over the hills and ridges. Wind-blown soil also piled up along the edge of the Missouri River. This soil formed bluffs that tower from 100 to 300 feet (30 to 91 meters) above the river.
The Young Drift Plains
cover most of northern and central Iowa. The glaciers that moved across this region smoothed the surface of the land until it became almost level. The melting glacial ice left deep drift (soil and rocks either in layers or unsorted). This drift became some of the most fertile topsoil in the world. The drift also formed many small hollows in the land, because it was not deposited evenly. The hollows filled with water and became lakes and swamps. The larger lakes are in northern and northwestern Iowa. Most of the swamps in the state have been drained and turned into good farmlands.
The Driftless Area
lies parallel to the Mississippi River in northeastern Iowa. Only one glacier moved across this region. As a result, the area was not flattened as much as the other regions were. Rugged, pine-covered hills and cliffs rise throughout this section of the state, which is a popular recreation area. Iowans call it the Switzerland of America and enjoy hiking through the region. Most of the drift deposits have been blown or washed away, and the soil is thin and poor for farming.
Rivers and lakes.
The waters of the mighty Mississippi-Missouri river system form Iowa’s eastern and western borders. All rivers and streams in the state flow into this system. The Mississippi-Missouri Divide, which separates the areas drained by the two rivers, extends southeastward through western Iowa. This low ridge curves from Dickinson County in the north to Davis County in the south. Iowa’s rivers and streams east of the divide flow into the Mississippi River. Those rivers and streams to the west of the divide flow into the Missouri or Big Sioux rivers.
The rivers east of the divide are long and winding. They rise in the prairies near the center of the state, and flow through shallow valleys bordered by wooded hills and bluffs. Near the Mississippi, most of the valleys are deeper and limestone cliffs appear. The Des Moines River, which flows through Iowa for 485 miles (781 kilometers), is the longest one. It drains nearly a fourth of the state. Other large eastern rivers include the Cedar, Iowa, Maquoketa, and Wapsipinicon. Clear, swift rivers wind through rocky ravines in the hilly northeast. The rivers of western Iowa are much shorter. Engineers have straightened a large number of these rivers to improve drainage.
Small, beautiful lakes dot the countryside of northern and northwestern Iowa. Some of the larger ones in the northwest are popular resort areas. These lakes include Clear, East Okoboji, West Okoboji, Spirit, and Storm lakes.
Plant and animal life.
Hardwood trees grow in the valleys of Iowa’s larger rivers. Common hardwoods include elms, hickories, maples, oaks, and walnuts. Cottonwood and willow trees thrive on the edges of rivers and lakes. Such conifers as balsam firs and white pines grow in northeastern Iowa.
Blue pasqueflowers border many Iowa roadsides in early spring. Other spring flowers include bloodroots, marsh marigolds, and violets. In summer, the countryside blooms with prairie lilies, purple phlox, and wild roses. Gentians, goldenrods, prairie asters, and sunflowers bloom in autumn.
The open farmlands of Iowa provide excellent nesting grounds for many kinds of birds. Partridges, quails, and ring-necked pheasants feed in the grain fields. A state hatchery in Boone County raises quails and pheasants to release as game birds. The Mississippi and Missouri flyways, both major waterfowl migration routes in spring and autumn, pass over Iowa. Thousands of birds, including ducks and Canada geese, feed in the state during their north-south flights.
Iowa has few large-game animals. Only white-tailed deer are plentiful. Cottontail rabbits, coyotes, foxes, and opossums live in most sections of the state. Jack rabbits are found mainly on the open plains in the northwestern part of Iowa.
Smallmouth bass and stocked trout swim in northeastern Iowa’s swift streams. Slower streams and lakes contain largemouth bass, bluegill, catfish, crappies, northern pike, and walleye.
Climate.
The weather of Iowa varies greatly, with cold winters and hot summers. The temperature may drop to –20 °F (–29 °C) in winter, and rise over 100 °F (38 °C) in summer. Sometimes the temperature falls or rises 50 Fahrenheit degrees (28 Celsius degrees) within 24 hours. Cold air from the northwest or hot air from the south causes these rapid changes. 
The temperatures of northern Iowa average 16 °F (–9 °C) in January and 72 °F (22 °C) in July. The southern section has an average temperature of 24 °F (–4 °C) in January and an average temperature of 76 °F (24 °C) in July. Iowa’s lowest recorded temperature, –47 °F ( –44 °C), occurred at Washta on Jan. 12, 1912, and at Elkader on Feb. 3, 1996. The state’s highest recorded temperature, 118 °F (48 °C), occurred at Keokuk on July 20, 1934.
Iowa seldom has long wet or dry periods. Winds from the Gulf of Mexico bring most of the rain. About 70 percent of it falls from April through September. The annual rainfall ranges from 26 inches (66 centimeters) in northern Iowa to 36 inches (91 centimeters) in the southeast.
Heavy snow often covers the state from January through March. The yearly snowfall averages 40 inches (102 centimeters) in northern Iowa and 22 inches (56 centimeters) in the south.
Economy
Iowa has been a leading agricultural state for many years. Today, agriculture still plays a significant role in the state’s economy. For example, food processing is the state’s leading manufacturing activity. But Iowa is more than a farm state. Service industries employ most of the state’s workers. Major life and health insurance companies that operate in Des Moines help make the financial sector a major part of Iowa’s economy. Health care and retail trade are also important, especially in Iowa’s largest cities.
Natural resources
help make Iowa a leading farm state. These resources include extremely fertile soil and an abundant supply of water.
Soil.
Deep layers of black, fertile topsoil cover most of the flat northern and central sections of Iowa. The rolling southern and far western sections of the state have topsoil that is thinner and less rich. But even this soil is fertile enough to produce above-average crops.
Minerals.
Limestone and shale deposits are found in almost all parts of Iowa, as are sand and gravel. Beds of bituminous (soft) coal lie in central and southern Iowa. Marion and Webster counties have deposits of gypsum.
Service industries
account for the largest portion of Iowa’s _gross domestic product—_the total value of all goods and services produced in the state in a year.
Iowa ranks among the nation’s leading centers of the insurance industry. Principal Financial Group, one of the largest insurance companies in the United States, is based in Des Moines. Netherlands-based insurance companies ING Groep N.V. and AEGON N.V. also have significant operations in Iowa. Iowa’s banking centers include Cedar Rapids and Des Moines.
Des Moines, the state capital, is the center of government activities. Iowa has a tradition of limited state government, and the federal government has few establishments in the state. Hotels, restaurants, and wholesale and retail trade activities are concentrated in and near Cedar Rapids, Davenport, and Des Moines. Leading areas for the state’s health care industry include Black Hawk, Johnson, Linn, Polk, and Scott counties, each of which has two or more general hospitals. The state’s transportation industry concentrates on serving factories and farmers.
Manufacturing
accounts for a larger portion of the gross domestic product in Iowa than it does in most other states. Manufacturing is centered in the Cedar Rapids, Davenport, Des Moines, and Waterloo areas.
Food processing is Iowa’s leading manufacturing activity. Several cities have meat-packing plants. Corn oil and corn syrup are produced at plants in Cedar Rapids, Keokuk, and Muscatine. Cedar Rapids has one of the largest cereal mills in the United States. Sioux City has one of the nation’s largest popcorn-processing plants.
Important machinery products include farm machinery and construction equipment. Centers of machinery production in Iowa include Davenport, Des Moines, Dubuque, and Waterloo. Pharmaceuticals and other chemical products are made in the Davenport, Des Moines, and Iowa City areas. Fabricated metal products are primarily manufactured in central and eastern Iowa. Aluminum processing is an important part of Iowa’s primary metals industry, and concrete is the state’s primary nonmetallic mineral product.
Agriculture.
Farmland covers about 85 percent of Iowa. Corn is the state’s leading source of crop income. Iowa leads the states in corn production, accounting for about a fifth of the corn grown in the United States. Corn grows on about two-fifths of the state’s land. Much of the corn crop is used as feed for livestock.
Farmers plant soybeans on about a third of Iowa’s land. Soybeans are used for livestock feed and to make oil. Farmers often rotate soybean crops with corn crops to maintain a balance of nutrients in the soil. Iowa ranks among the leading states in soybean production. 
Other major field crops include hay, oats, and wheat. Alfalfa and red clover serve as cattle feed and also help restore nitrogen to the soil.
Apples are the chief fruit crop of Iowa. Vegetables cultivated in the state include cabbage, peas, pumpkins, sweet corn, and tomatoes.
Hogs are Iowa’s leading source of livestock income. More hogs are raised in Iowa than in any other state. Farms in Iowa raise more than a fourth of all hogs in the United States. Herds of beef cattle graze throughout Iowa, especially in the southern part of the state. Iowa is a leading beef cattle-producing state. At the age of 12 to 18 months, cattle move to feedlots, where they are fed on corn and fattened for market. Many Iowa farmers buy cattle from Western states and fatten them.
Iowa has many dairy cattle, and it is an important milk-producing state. Many dairy herds graze in the hilly northeastern section of the state. Farms throughout the state produce chickens, eggs, and turkeys. Iowa ranks among the leading states in egg production. Farmers in the state also raise sheep and some horses. The state is also an important honey producer.
Mining.
Limestone is the main source of the state’s mining income. Other products mined in Iowa include cement, clays, dolomite, gypsum, lime, peat, and sand and gravel. Iowa is a leading state in the mining of gypsum.
Electric power and utilities.
Plants that burn coal and wind-powered plants produce most of the state’s electric power. Most of the remaining energy comes from plants powered by natural gas.
Transportation.
Pioneers in Iowa followed Indigenous American and buffalo trails while on horseback, in covered wagons, and on foot. Steamboat development led to busy trade on the Mississippi River between 1830 and 1870. Rail, highway, and air traffic replaced most river traffic.
Des Moines International Airport is Iowa’s busiest airport. Eastern Iowa Airport in Cedar Rapids is the next busiest.
Iowa’s first railroad began operating in 1855 between Davenport and Muscatine. Today, railroads provide freight service in Iowa, and Amtrak provides passenger service in southern Iowa.
The Iowa State Highway Commission (now the Iowa Department of Transportation) began a major roadbuilding program in 1917 with federal aid. The commission planned for each farm with 1 square mile (2.6 square kilometers) of land to have a road on each side of the property. The state now has an extensive system of roads and highways.
Steamboating had almost disappeared from the Mississippi River by 1890. Barge service began on the upper Mississippi during the 1920’s. But the barges were sometimes stalled for long periods in summer, when water in the river dropped to a low level. By 1939, many dams and locks were built between Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Alton, Illinois. Iowa’s major Mississippi River ports include Burlington, Clinton, Davenport, Dubuque, Fort Madison, Keokuk, McGregor, and Muscatine.
The Missouri River is also able to handle barge traffic. The Mississippi River handles much more Iowa cargo than the Missouri River. Major Iowa ports on the Missouri River are Council Bluffs and Sioux City.
Communication.
Iowa’s first newspaper, the Du Buque Visitor, began in 1836. Today, the largest daily is The Des Moines Register. Other large dailies include The Courier of Waterloo and Cedar Falls, The Gazette of Cedar Rapids, the Quad-City Times of Davenport, the Sioux City Journal, and the Telegraph Herald of Dubuque.
Government
Constitution
of Iowa was adopted in 1857. It replaced a constitution adopted in 1846, when the state entered the Union. Amendments to the Constitution may be proposed in either house of the state legislature, or by a constitutional convention called by the voters. An amendment proposed in the legislature must be approved by a majority vote of each house in two successive sessions of the legislature. An amendment must then be approved by a majority of the voters in an election.
The question of calling a constitutional convention must be submitted to the voters every 10 years. Approval by a majority of the people voting on the proposition is needed to call a convention. Amendments that are proposed by a constitutional convention also need the approval of a majority of the people who are voting on the issue.
Executive.
The governor of Iowa is elected to a four-year term and can serve an unlimited number of terms. The governor has the power to veto legislation. But a two-thirds vote in each house of the legislature can override the veto. The governor may also veto parts of a bill that deal with money, and sign the rest of the bill into law. In addition to electing the governor, Iowa voters elect the lieutenant governor, the secretary of state, the state auditor, the state treasurer, the attorney general, and the secretary of agriculture to four-year terms. The governor appoints department and agency heads and other state officials not elected by the people. Most of the governor’s appointments require approval from the state Senate. 
Legislature
of Iowa, called the General Assembly, consists of a 50-member Senate and a 100-member House of Representatives. Voters in each of Iowa’s 50 senatorial districts elect 1 senator. Voters in each of the 100 representative districts elect 1 representative. Senators serve four-year terms, and representatives serve two-year terms. The two houses of the state legislature meet regularly each year beginning on the second Monday in January. The legislative session typically lasts until late April or early May. Special sessions of the legislature may be called by either the legislature itself or by the governor. 
Courts.
The highest court in Iowa is the Supreme Court. It has seven justices, who serve eight-year terms. The justices select one of their number to be chief justice. Iowa also has a Court of Appeals that has statewide jurisdiction. The Court of Appeals has nine judges, who serve six-year terms. The judges choose one of their number to serve as chief judge. In addition, each of Iowa’s eight judicial districts has a District Court with a chief judge and a number of other judges. The district judges serve six-year terms. They appoint district associate judges, who handle less important cases. These judges serve six-year terms.
The governor appoints Iowa’s Supreme Court justices and district judges from lists of persons nominated by the State Judicial Nominating Commission. One year after appointment, and every eight years after that, a justice must receive the voters’ approval to remain on the court.
Local government.
Each of Iowa’s 99 counties is governed by a board of supervisors. In most counties, the board consists of three members elected to four-year terms. Most cities have the mayor-council form of government and many have a council-manager system. In 1968, the state Constitution was amended to grant home rule to Iowa cities. That is, the cities operate under their own charters. Four cities are governed under charters granted before the present Constitution was adopted. These cities are Camanche, Davenport, Muscatine, and Wapello. In 1978, the state Constitution was amended to grant home rule to Iowa’s counties.
Revenue.
Taxation provides about 45 percent of the state’s general revenue (income). Much of the rest comes from federal grants and programs. Iowa’s revenue system is based largely on sales taxes, personal income taxes, and charges for government services. Other taxes include those on corporate income, motor fuels, motor vehicle licenses, and tobacco.
Politics.
The Democratic Party controlled Iowa politics when the state entered the Union in 1846. During the 1850’s, many Iowa Democrats became dissatisfied with their party for not opposing slavery. They joined with members of the Whig Party to help form the Republican Party. A Republican became governor of Iowa in 1858. Since then, the Republican candidate has defeated the Democratic candidate in most of Iowa’s gubernatorial elections.
Most of Iowa’s Republican strength lies in rural areas, while most Democratic strength is in the cities. Members of both parties seek as much representation as possible from areas where their party is strong. In 1964 and 1965, the state legislative districts were temporarily reapportioned (redivided). The reapportionment gave the cities greater representation, which resulted in more Democrats in the legislature. Beginning with the 1970 census, the state has been reapportioned after each U.S. census.
History
Early days.
The Iowa region was once the home of prehistoric people who became known as Mound Builders. They had disappeared long before European people first arrived in 1673. The Indigenous people left more than 10,000 burial mounds containing tools and weapons. See Mound builders.
Early explorers found both Woodland and Plains peoples living throughout what is now Iowa. The Illinois, Iowa, Miami, Ottawa, and Sioux lived along the Mississippi River. The Omaha, Oto, and Missouri tribes ranged through the western section. The Indigenous people wandered after the great buffalo herds that provided their chief source of food. The Sauk and Fox people fled into Iowa after the French forced them out of Wisconsin in 1733.
Exploration and early settlement.
Europeans first saw the Iowa region on June 17, 1673. Two French explorers, Louis Jolliet and Father Jacques Marquette, paddled their canoes down the Wisconsin River into the Mississippi River. They landed on the Iowa side on June 25. In 1680, René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, sent Michel Aco and Father Louis Hennepin to explore the upper Mississippi River. They passed by the Iowa shore. La Salle went down the river and reached the mouth of the Mississippi in 1682. He claimed for France the entire region drained by the river. La Salle named the region Louisiana, in honor of King Louis XIV.
During the rest of the 1600’s and the early 1700’s, only a few missionaries, soldiers, and fur traders visited the Iowa region. In 1690, Nicholas Perrot taught the Miami people how to mine the lead in what is now the Dubuque area. But no permanent white settlements were made.
In 1762, France gave Spain control of the Louisiana region west of the Mississippi River. Julien Dubuque, a French-Canadian adventurer, received permission from the Fox people in 1788 to mine lead near present-day Dubuque. He became Iowa’s first white settler and stayed until his death in 1810. Several other trappers and hunters came soon after Dubuque. 
Territorial days.
In 1800, Spain agreed to return its part of Louisiana, including the Iowa region, to France. Iowa became part of the United States in 1803 as part of the Louisiana Purchase (see Louisiana Purchase). In 1805, the federal government created the Territory of Louisiana, which included the Iowa region. Meriwether Lewis and William Clark explored the territory from 1804 to 1806. While traveling up the Missouri River, Charles Floyd, a member of the expedition, died. Buried at what is now Sioux City, Floyd was the first white man known to be buried in Iowa. Zebulon M. Pike explored the Mississippi River in 1805 and 1806 and visited Julien Dubuque’s settlement. The U.S. Army built Iowa’s first fort, Fort Madison, in 1808.
Congress reorganized the Iowa region as a part of the Territory of Missouri in 1812, when Louisiana became a state. Fur companies established posts on the Des Moines, Mississippi, and Missouri rivers during the early 1800’s. But the region remained reserved for Indigenous people, officially closed to permanent settlement. Missouri gained statehood in 1821, and Iowa became part of the unorganized territory of the United States.
By late 1831, the federal government had forced most of the Sauk and Fox to move from Illinois into the Iowa region. The government wanted to make room for pioneers in western Illinois. But the Sauk leader Black Hawk and his followers refused to live in Iowa. The Black Hawk War of 1832 broke out, and U.S. forces defeated the Sauk and Fox. The peace treaty forced the tribes to abandon a long strip of land 50 miles (80 kilometers) wide that extended along the Mississippi River in Iowa. It became known as the Black Hawk Purchase, and many settlers promptly moved into it. The region was attached to the Territory of Michigan in 1834 for purposes of government. 
In 1836, Congress created the Territory of Wisconsin, which included the Black Hawk Purchase. On June 12, 1838, Congress separated the land west of the Mississippi River from the Wisconsin Territory. The Territory of Iowa was created on July 4, 1838. This new territory included all of present-day Iowa, most of Minnesota, and two-thirds of North and South Dakota. President Martin Van Buren appointed Robert Lucas as the first territorial governor. The capital was at Burlington. It was moved to Iowa City in 1841.
Statehood.
As early as 1839, Governor Lucas proposed steps to make Iowa a state, but the voters opposed statehood. As long as the region remained a territory, they did not have to pay the salaries of local officials. But if the region became a state, these salaries would have to be paid from local taxes. 
The voters finally approved a constitutional convention in 1844, in preparation for statehood. But Congress rejected the state boundaries set forth in the proposed Iowa constitution. In turn, the voters opposed the boundaries proposed by Congress. A second constitutional convention met in 1846. It adopted Iowa’s present boundaries. The voters approved the new Constitution on August 3. President James K. Polk signed a bill admitting Iowa to the Union as the 29th state on Dec. 28, 1846. The new state had a population of 102,338. Ansel Briggs, a Democrat, became the first governor of Iowa.
Iowa adopted its present Constitution in 1857. Under this Constitution, the capital was moved to Des Moines. That year, a band of Sioux raiders attacked and killed settlers at Spirit Lake in western Iowa. Many Iowans feared that the attack would discourage further settlement in the area. But settlers continued to arrive in large numbers. Most of them opposed slavery, and Iowa supported the Union during the Civil War (1861-1865).
The coming of the railroads.
In 1867, the first railroad crossed Iowa, from the Mississippi River to Council Bluffs. By 1870, four railroads crossed Iowa. Iowa farmers became angry. They felt the railroads charged unfair rates for freight. Iowa members of the Grange, a national farmers’ organization, supported the Anti-Monopoly party in 1873 and gained control of the state legislature. In 1874, the legislature adopted a series of laws that regulated freight rates in the state. The railroads managed to get these laws repealed in 1878. A commission appointed by the state then drew up rates acceptable to both sides.
Steamboating became a giant industry on the Mississippi River between 1850 and 1870. During this period, lumber companies in Wisconsin and Minnesota sent huge rafts of logs down the Mississippi. The states along the river used the logs as lumber. This ready supply of lumber changed Iowa from a region of log cabins and sod houses to one of frame houses. During the early 1900’s, the railroads provided new markets for industries, and new dams provided power. The Keokuk Dam, completed in 1913 on the Mississippi River, helped develop industries as far away as St. Louis, Mo.
The temperance movement
had developed in Iowa during the 1830’s and became quite strong. Territorial Governor Lucas supported the movement, which opposed the manufacture and sale of alcoholic drinks. In 1855, the state adopted its first law prohibiting the sale of these beverages. The legislature passed an even stricter law in 1885. This law was replaced by the less strict Mulct Law in 1894. The Mulct Law allowed counties to decide for themselves whether to allow the sale of alcoholic beverages. By 1906, 43 of the 99 counties allowed taverns to operate. The Mulct Law was repealed in 1915. Five years later, in 1920, nationwide prohibition of liquor went into effect.
The early 1900’s.
Iowa began an extensive roadbuilding program in 1917. The United States entered World War I that year. Private Merle Hay of Glidden was one of the first three American soldiers killed, and France erected a monument in his honor.
Iowa farmland sold at record high prices during the war and after the fighting ended in 1918. Farmers had to take large mortgages in order to buy new land. As early as 1920, many farmers had gone deeply into debt. By 1929, when the Great Depression began, many had lost their land through failure to pay their mortgages. Federal and state legislation was passed in the mid-1930’s to help farmers. In 1936, many farmers became members of farm cooperatives. They hoped to save money by joining together to buy supplies and to sell their crops. These cooperatives and the new legislation helped many farmers in Iowa keep their land.
In 1933, after the prohibition of liquor was repealed, Iowa’s legislature passed a law allowing beer to be sold in retail stores. The next year, the state set up a system of state-owned stores to sell other alcoholic beverages. But no alcoholic drinks could be served in taverns.
The mid-1900’s.
During World War II (1939-1945), the demand increased for American farm products, including corn and pork from Iowa. As a result, the income of Iowa farmers rose rapidly.
Between 1945 and the late 1960’s, hundreds of new industries moved into Iowa. Most of them were food or metal processors or machinery manufacturers. Iowa thus began to shift from a basic farm economy to an industrial-agricultural economy. Meanwhile, the increased use of modern farm machinery and the merging of small farms into larger ones reduced farm employment. Many Iowans moved from rural areas to cities to work in the new and expanding industries. The 1960 census reported that, for the first time, more Iowans lived in urban areas than in rural areas. The census showed that 53 percent of the people lived in cities and towns, compared with 48 percent in 1950.
The issue of liquor sales arose again during the 1950’s. The Iowa legislature rejected several resolutions to permit alcoholic drinks to be served in taverns. In 1963, the legislature legalized the sale of liquor by the drink. But the voters in each of Iowa’s counties can decide whether to permit the sale of liquor in their areas.
Recent developments.
Manufacturing continues to increase in value in Iowa. During the mid-1970’s, manufacturing overtook agriculture as a source of income in the state.
During the first half of the 1980’s, Iowa’s farming industry hit hard times because of low agricultural prices, high interest rates, and a worldwide food surplus. These developments and a reduction of federal agricultural price supports, which guarantee certain price levels for farm products, contributed to a sharp decline in land values. Part-time farming increased by farmers who needed to hold other jobs to add to their farm income. Some farmers went bankrupt, and a number of banks serving rural areas failed. In addition, the drop in agricultural prices hurt many Iowa industries associated with agriculture, especially those that make machinery, hybrid seed, and fertilizer.
The farm slump seriously affected Iowa’s small towns and rural areas. Many young people left Iowa to work elsewhere. The 1990 census showed that Iowa’s population dropped by 41/2 percent during the 1980’s. In the last half of the 1980’s, the downward trend began to level out. Farm values rebounded, and migration out of Iowa declined. Iowa’s leaders have worked to diversify the agricultural industry and expand manufacturing activities. But Iowa remains largely dependent on agriculture.
In 1989, the government legalized riverboat gambling in Iowa. The gambling began in 1991. The state hoped to spur economic development through tourism, particularly in cities along the Mississippi River. Such cities as Davenport, Dubuque, and Fort Madison offered riverboat gambling.
Iowa sometimes suffers from flooding along its rivers, including the Mississippi, Missouri, and Des Moines. Major floods struck in 1993 as a result of heavy rains. The floods caused more than $2 billion worth of damage to property and crops in Iowa. In 2008, heavy rains again led to devastating floods in the state, causing billions of dollars in losses to crops and property. Among the hardest-hit communities was Cedar Rapids, where rising floodwaters forced tens of thousands of people to flee their homes.
By 2000, Iowa’s population had begun to increase again. According to the 2000 census, the state’s population grew by 51/2 percent during the 1990’s. In the first two decdes of the 2000’s, the state grew by another 9 percent.
In 2009, the Iowa Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage. Iowa became the first Midwestern state to allow the practice. In 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that states cannot ban same-sex marriage.
In August 2020, a fast-moving windstorm system called a derecho caused great destruction in Iowa. The derecho, formed during a powerful thunderstorm, moved through a number of states in the Midwest, destroying homes, uprooting trees, and flattening millions of acres of crops. Cedar Rapids suffered some of the worst of the storm’s damage.
