Originally a part of the Utah Territory, Nevada was carved out as a separate territory in 1861 because of animosity between the mostly Christian residents and the Mormons who controlled the rest of the region. In 1864, despite its low population, Nevada was allowed to enter the union as the 36th US state in part to swing support behind President Abraham Lincoln in the US presidential election of that year. The early history of the state was rooted in mining, primarily of silver and gold deposits, which saw many towns, expand rapidly. The decline of mining in the early 20th Century coupled by the Great Depression took a dramatic toll on the state’s economy, helping to usher in the legalization of gambling which would have a profound effect. Gambling, and associated service industries such a