State Guide: Chambers of Commerce. As a small business owner in the U.S., it is important to be familiar with your state's chamber of commerce. A chamber of commerce is a local organization of businesses designed to help protect and promote business interests. Some say they are essential to the economic growth of a community. However, if you own a small business, your membership in a chamber of commerce is not mandatory.
Washington became the forty-second state of the United States of America on November 11, 1889. After a hiatus of thirteen years when no new states were admitted to the Union, the United States Congress passed an act enabling the territories of Washington, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Montana to seek statehood.
The common understanding is that in 1959, a plebiscite was held in which the people of Hawaii voted to become a state of the Union, and on August 18, 1959, Hawaii was admitted to the Union. What led up to this event? In 1945, at the end of World War II, the United Nations was established.