Iowa Becomes a Territory

Iowa was part of the Michigan Territory before becoming part of the Wisconsin Territory in 1834. In 1838 Iowa became an independent territory.

In 1834, Iowa became a part of the Michigan Territory. In 1836, Michigan became a state and Iowa was made a part of the new Wisconsin Territory. By 1838, Iowa’s population numbered more that ten thousand and Congress created the separate Territory of Iowa. The pioneers had already worked their magic on some of the land of Iowa. Strong, healthy crops grew where once only the prairie grass swayed in the wind.