Organized incorporated territories of the United States


Organized incorporated territories are territories of the United States that are both incorporated and organized. There have been no such territories since 1959.
Regions that have been admitted as states by the United States Constitution in addition to the original thirteen were, prior to admission, territories or parts of territories of this kind. As the United States grew, the most populous parts of the organized territory would achieve statehood. Some territories existed only a short time before becoming states, while others remained territories for decades. The shortest-lived was Alabama Territory at two years, while New Mexico Territory and Hawaii Territory both lasted more than 50 years.

Historical

Of the current 50 U.S. states, 31 were at one time or another part of an organized incorporated U.S. territory. In addition to the original 13, six subsequent states never were. Kentucky, Maine, and West Virginia were each set off from already existing states. Texas and Vermont both entered the Union after having been sovereign states. California was set off from unorganized land ceded to the United States by Mexico in 1848 at the end of the Mexican–American War.

Current situation

Since 1959, there have been no incorporated U.S. territories formally organized by an Organic Act. When Hawaii was admitted as a state in 1959, the Hawaii Admission Act specifically excluded Palmyra Island which had been part of the Territory of Hawaii, and Palmyra remains today as the only incorporated U. S. territory, the United States Territory of Palmyra Island. Although it still has private landowners, Palmyra is uninhabited, and no Palmyra Island government has been organized under an act of Congress. Palmyra is currently governed as a territory by the United States Department of the Interior. All other U. S. territories except Palmyra are unincorporated, whereas other former incorporated territories are now states. While the District of Columbia functions similarly to an organized incorporated territory, it is governed by entirely different provisions of the United States Constitution as a federal district.

List of organized incorporated territories

The following territories within the United States were officially organized by Congress with an Organic Act:
TerritoryEstablishedCeased to exist
Northwest, when it became the state of Tennessee
Mississippi, when its western half became the state of Mississippi
Indiana, when its remaining southern portion became the state of Indiana
Orleans, when it became the state of Louisiana
Michigan, when its remaining two–peninsula extent became the State of Michigan
Louisiana, when it was renamed Missouri Territory
Illinois, when its southern portion became the State of Illinois
Missouri, when its southeastern portion became the State of Missouri
Alabama, when it became the state of Alabama
Arkansas, when its remaining extent became the state of Arkansas
Florida, when it became the state of Florida
Wisconsin, when its eastern portion became the state of Wisconsin
Iowa, when its southern portion became the state of Iowa
Oregon, when its southwestern portion became the state of Oregon
Minnesota, when its eastern portion became the state of Minnesota
New Mexico, when its remaining extent became the state of New Mexico
Utah, when its remaining extent became the state of Utah
Washington, when its remaining extent became the state of Washington
Kansas, when its eastern portion became the state of Kansas
Nebraska, when its remaining extent became the state of Nebraska
Colorado, when it became the state of Colorado
Nevada, when it became the state of Nevada
Dakota, when its remaining extent was split and became the states of North Dakota and South Dakota
Arizona, when its remaining extent became the state of Arizona
Idaho, when its remaining extent became the state of Idaho
Montana, when it became the state of Montana
Wyoming, when it became the state of Wyoming
Oklahoma, when it was joined with the Indian Territory and became the state of Oklahoma
Hawaii, when it became the state of Hawaii
Alaska, when it became the state of Alaska