Before the arrival of Europeans, the region of Iowa was inhabited by Native Americans. They were generally hunters and gatherers. By the time the region was explored by the Europeans,
European Settlement
The first recorded European exploration of the region was that by Jacques Marquette and Louis Jolliet in 1673. Until 1763, this region was claimed by France and so was a French territory. They transferred the ownership to their ally, Spain, who granted trading licenses to French and British traders. Trade was controlled effectively by the Sauk and Meskwaki tribes. Before the nineteenth century, many English trading houses were built. In 1803 Louisiana Purchase, United States purchased the region from France by paying 60 million francs and cancellation of debt amounting to 18 million francs.
Fort Madison was constructed in 1805 by the United States. It was built to strengthen the military control as well as to control trade in the region. During the War of 1812, Fort Madison was defeated by the British, who were supported by the Natives. Fort Shelby also became a British possession. The United States regained control of the region by establishing Fort Armstrong, Fort Snelling, and Fort Atkinson.
In June 1833, the first American settlers moved to Iowa and five years later, on July 4, 1838, the Territory of Iowa was established by the US Congress. On December 28, 1846, Iowa became the 29th state to join the Union. Iowa supported the American Civil War by voting for Abraham Lincoln. Although the state provided food and soldiers during the war, no major battles were fought.
Recent History
After the civil war, Iowa became a major agricultural producer. The economic sector underwent changes after World War I and the state slowly became a center for number of business and manufacturing operations. This transition from agrarian economy to mixed economy happened gradually. After World War II, the economy saw an increase in manufacturing operations. In 1980s, there was a major recession in Iowa because of the Farm Crisis. After 1980s, the economy expanded. The state has recently seen a huge increase in the population. Today, the population of Iowa is predominantly urban.
