The Last State to Join the Union
Hawaii shares the distinction of being one of the last states to join the Union with Alaska. Both states officially became part of the United States in the same year, 1959. Hawaii has been a U.S. territory since 1898.
While there were earlier attempts to join the Union in the first half of the 20th century, they were unsuccessful. Some argued that Hawaii lacked a historical connection to the U.S. during those earlier attempts.
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