Post on 17-Dec-2015
The Montana Territory
If you were starting a new society in a new place, what rules would you want to have?
Law and Order
Set up to keep miner’s claims protected
They hired judges, a recorder to keep track of claims, and sometimes a sheriff to enforce laws!
Settled many disputes---arguments to murder trials
Miners court’s were not prepared for the violence that came to gold camps
Miners Courts
Read about the violence and crime on Page 111-112
Vigilante Justice
Montana was part of the Idaho territory
The U.S government needed Montana’s gold
In 163 during the civil war President Lincoln sent Sidney Edgerton to the Idaho territory to be chief justice
Montana needed a Government
He saw how valuable the gold fields would be
to the union. He saw that they needed there own
government.
He brought back gold to bribe congressmen into turning the gold fields into its own territory.
In 1864 Sidney Edgerton became the first Governor of Montana Territory.
Sidney Edgerton
Read page 114
A junior state---first step toward statehood Must have Non-Indian population of 5,000 Federal government appointed leaders The territory law and government did not
protect Indians Many conflicts occurred over land, hunting
rights, the use of water, and the right to travel through areas.
What is a territory?
Read pages 116-117 to find the answers to 15 and 16
Silver in Montana!!!