In 1849 the Mormons formed the State of Deseret, with Brigham Young as governor. Congress ignored this state and in 1850 created Utah Territory, which included parts of present-day Colorado, Wyoming, and Nevada. Brigham Young was named the first territorial governor. The creation of the territory was part of the Compromise of 1850 that sought to preserve the balance of power between slave and free states. In the first session of the territorial legislature in October, the legislature adopted all the laws and ordinances previously enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Deseret. The controversies stirred by the Mormon religion's dominance of the territory is regarded as the primary reason behind the long delay of 46 years between the organization of the territory and its admission to the Union in 1896 as the State of Utah, long after the admission of territories created after it. In contrast, the Nevada Territory, although more sparsely populated, was admitted to the Union in 1864, only three years after its formation, largely as a consequence of the Union's desire to consolidate its hold on the silver mines in the territory. Colorado was admitted in 1876.