Laws, resolutions, and memorials passed by the Legislative Assembly of the Territory/State of Nebraska: titles varies, 1855–, var. state printer,
1855–. The area now comprising the State of Nebraska entered the United States as part of the Louisiana Purchase. In 1854 Congress created a Territory
of Nebraska that was much larger than the Nebraska of today; containing also large parts of present-day Wyoming, Colorado, Montana, and the Dakotas. In
1863 Nebraska was reduced to its present size by the creation of the territories of Utah and Colorado. The first Nebraska Territorial Legislature met
in January of 1855. Pursuant to an enabling act of 1864, the first statehood legislature met in July of 1866. However, due to a dispute over the
original statehood constitution, which sought to limit the franchise to whites, formal statehood was not finally enacted by Congress until March 1, 1867.
Since a constitutional amendment of 1934, the Nebraska Legislature, uniquely among the states, has been unicameral, and, just as uniquely, bipartisan;
with 49 members elected for four-year terms. (Records that were part of the Early State Records collection were digitized from a microfilm copy of
titles originally held the Library of Congress, although some sources are unknown at this time).
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