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Fact check: Was Oregon the last state to join the union?
1. Summary of the results
No, Oregon was not the last state to join the union. Multiple sources consistently confirm that Oregon became the 33rd state when it was admitted to the Union on February 14, 1859 [1] [2] [3] [4] [5].
The actual last state to join the union was Hawaii, which became the 50th state on August 21, 1959 - exactly 100 years after Oregon's admission [6] [4]. This means that 17 additional states joined the union after Oregon, making it far from being the last state admitted.
2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints
The original question lacks crucial historical context about the timeline of American statehood. Oregon's admission in 1859 occurred during a period of significant westward expansion, but the United States continued to grow substantially afterward [3] [4].
Key missing context includes:
- Oregon was admitted from the Oregon Territory in 1859 [4]
- Alaska became the 49th state on January 3, 1959, just months before Hawaii [4]
- The gap between Oregon (33rd) and the final states represents a century of continued American expansion
- Hawaii's admission process involved Congressional approval on March 12, 1959, followed by President Eisenhower signing the Hawaii Admissions Act on March 18, 1959 [6]
3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement
The original question appears to contain a fundamental factual error rather than intentional bias. However, this type of misinformation could stem from:
- Confusion about Oregon's historical significance in westward expansion
- Lack of awareness about Alaska and Hawaii's relatively recent statehood (both in 1959)
- Possible conflation of Oregon's early territorial status with final statehood chronology
The question demonstrates how basic historical facts can be misunderstood, potentially leading to broader misconceptions about American territorial expansion and the timeline of statehood admissions. The sources provide clear, consistent evidence that directly contradicts the premise of the question [1] [2] [3] [4] [6] [5].