Name: Ocean Savage
School: Homeschool

Did Nevada change the nation? The most popular belief is that  Nevada saved the 1864 election for Lincoln and was important in ratifying the Xlllth Amendment. However, these have been proven to be myths. Though this would make it seem that  Nevada did not  change the nation, it still did. Hoover Dam and the xvth Amendment of the Constitution are proof  of this fact.

Many often  believe  that  Nevada changed the  nation  by saving the 1864 election  for President  Lincoln.  The election   was actually a  three   way  race  between   Lincoln, General McClellan and General Fremont. Lincoln believed that he wouldn’t have enough votes to win so he created Nevada. However, when Fremont dropped  out of the  race, no one really  wanted McClellan so he was voted out. Therefore, though Lincoln created Nevada to help him win, he didn’t  need the state in the end.

Many also believe that  Nevada was vital ratifying the  Xlllth Amendment. This is untrue  because  the  Nevada  Senators  didn’t   even  arrive  in  Washington   D.C.in time  to  sign  the Amendment. Nevada did ratify the Xlllth Amendment, which helped to ensure that slavery and involuntary servitude did not exist.

All of these negatives would imply that Nevada did not change the nation, but it actually did. For instance, one way that Nevada changed the nation is through  its influence on the xvth Amendment  to the Constitution. If Nevada was not a state, then  there  would  have been no Nevada Senators. If there were no Senators, then Nevada Senator William  M. Stewart  would not  have had an important role  in drafting the  Amendment. Without him, the  Amendment might not have come to be. Therefore, without the Amendment, blacks may not be able to vote today. Also, Nevada was the first state to ratify the xvth Amendment which encouraged  other states to ratify it also.

Another of Nevada’s contributions is Hoover Dam, which is located partly  in Nevada. It changed the nation because of Lake Mead. If this lake were not there, Las Vegas would not exist because of lack of water from Lake Mead. Las Vegas, a city in Nevada, is important because it brings in tourists, who bring money with  them, and therefore helps the nation.  Also, Hoover Dam powers Las Vegas with  the electricity it makes. With  more  electricity from  Hoover Dam, Las Vegas can be bigger. That attracts more tourists  which helps the nation. Third, Hoover Dam stores water so that  it does not flood  California. This is important because California is full of rich farmland. It produces so much money that could be lost if the farmland was flooded. Also, Hoover Dam cleans the  water  by keeping  it in one place. Before Hoover Dam, the  Colorado River was red with mud making it impossible to drink. By cleaning it, Hoover Dam is helping the nation by conserving  water-cleaning  money. Also, Hoover Dam helped  the  nation  during  the Great Depression. The Great Depression happened when the businesses shut down and people were out  of  work.  The construction of Hoover Dam provided  work  for  thousands  of  these people during this time. The nation would not have recovered as quickly from the depression if Hoover Dam had not  been  built.  So, Hoover  Dam really  did  help  the  nation  by controlling flooding, providing  water  and  electricity to  Las Vegas, and providing jobs  during  the  Great Depression.