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South Dakota became a state for several reasons.

As a territory, residents had very little say in their government. The governor of Dakota Territory was appointed by the president. There was no representation in the US Congress. When the governor decided to move the capital from Yankton to Bismarck, the residents of Dakota Territory had no say in the decision.

Residents in the South Dakota part of the Dakota Territory were mostly Republicans, so the Republican Party saw statehood for South Dakota as a way to gain more political power for their party.

Plus, the population of the Dakota Territory was growing and that population was ready for statehood!

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12y ago

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