Besides that, it was a territory administered by the Spanish Empire and the Mexican Empire before eventually falling into the hands of the United States who really weren't sure what to do all these new citizens and Native Americans (they wouldn't really get citizenship until 1924) until the strange place was given statehood in 1912.
Hawaii is my close pick for 2nd place given that it was once it's own nation and even had it's own crazy war of unification.
New Mexico's history is arguably the state with the craziest history. Weird fact: slavery didn't end here after the civil war.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/28/us/indian-slaves-genizaro...
Besides that, it was a territory administered by the Spanish Empire and the Mexican Empire before eventually falling into the hands of the United States who really weren't sure what to do all these new citizens and Native Americans (they wouldn't really get citizenship until 1924) until the strange place was given statehood in 1912.
Hawaii is my close pick for 2nd place given that it was once it's own nation and even had it's own crazy war of unification.