Throughout the great land of the United States, there are a multitude of environments and territories that can be explored. One of them lies in the Great Plains of the American Midwest, this state is Nebraska. The state of Nebraska can seem far away and unknown, but in reality, the state contributes a lot to the nation. 

The 37th state was added to our union in 1867. They gained the nickname the Cornhusker State due to their agriculture surrounding grains such as corn. For over 13,000 years, Native Americans have lived on the land there. Tribes such as the Cheyanne, Lakota, Omaha, and many others lived there. Many tribes still live there today! When European settlers came, the French and English attempted to settle there. Eventually, the French sold the land to the United States in 1803 as a part of the Louisiana Purchase.

The first American settlers arrived there through the Oregon trail, a path leading westward for those who wished to pursue the new land that was acquired. During the Civil War in 1862, the Homestead Act gave 160 acres of land to families if they stayed there for five years and farmed the land. This created a larger population of people in the area, and it then became an official state on March 1st, 1867. The population grew 733% in the span of around ten years. With the Kansas and Nebraska Act of 1854, Nebraska decided to abolish slavery in its state.

The state gets its name from the Native American word for ‘shallow water’ referencing the Platte River that is in the state. Nebraska is the third largest corn producer in the United States, and the University of Nebraska’s mascot is the Cornhusker. This then inspired the state to be nicknamed ‘The cornhusker state’.

In terms of terrain, Nebraska is home to relatively flat land. However, besides its flat marshes and small hills, there is a 20,000 square mile stretch of sand dunes called Sand Hills. In the very Northwest, this sandy expanse is called the Badlands. 

Overall, while the state may not be the first that comes to mind, it still has a rich history and culture that has inhabited it for thousands of years. Visiting the Cornhusker state is more than just the Great Plains but rather the great story of the United States.