On March 2, 1861, the United States Congress created the Dakota Territory consisting of North Dakota, South Dakota and most of Montana and Wyoming. Acquired under the Louisian Purchase in 1803, exploration of the region began as early as 1743 by Louis-Joseph and Francois Verendrye. Commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson, Lewis and Clark further explored the state from 1804-1806 as part of their transcontinental Corps of Discovery Expedition.The Black Hills are the highest mountains east of the Rockies. Badlands, prairies, grasslands, glacial lakes and fertile farmland provide a broad variety of landscapes. South Dakota became a state in 1889. Read the Journal of the Constitutional Convention here: https://archive.org/details/journalofconsti00sout
First permanent settlement: Fort Pierre, 1817
State capitol: Pierre
State Motto: Under God, the people rule
Famous tourist attraction: Mount Rushmore
State flower: Pasque (Pulsatilla hirsutissima)
State bird: Ring-necked Pheasant
State song: Hail South Dakota
Population: 824,082
Economy: Agriculture, tourism, manufacturing, health care
