The territory of the United States and its overseas possessions has
evolved over time, from the
colonial era to the present day. It includes formally organized territories, proposed and failed states, unrecognized
breakaway state
Breakaway or Break Away may refer to:
Film, television and radio
* ''Breakaway'' (1955 film), a British film
* ''Breakaway'' (1990 film), an Australian film featuring Deborah Kara Unger
* ''Breakaway'' (1996 film), an American film featuring T ...
s, international and interstate purchases,
cession
The act of cession is the assignment of property to another entity. In international law it commonly refers to land transferred by treaty. Ballentine's Law Dictionary defines cession as "a surrender; a giving up; a relinquishment of jurisdictio ...
s, and
land grant
A land grant is a gift of real estate—land or its use privileges—made by a government or other authority as an incentive, means of enabling works, or as a reward for services to an individual, especially in return for military service. Grants ...
s, and historical military departments and administrative districts. The last section lists informal regions from American
vernacular geography
Vernacular geography is the sense of place that is revealed in ordinary people's language. Current research by the Ordnance Survey is attempting to understand the landmarks, streets, open spaces, water bodies, landforms, fields, woods, and many oth ...
known by popular nicknames and linked by geographical, cultural, or economic similarities, some of which are still in use today.
For a more complete list of regions and subdivisions of the United States used in modern times, see
List of regions of the United States
This is a list of some of the ways ''regions'' is defined in the United States. Many regions are defined in law or regulations by the federal government; others by shared culture and history, and others by economic factors.
Interstate regions C ...
.
Colonial era (before 1776)
Thirteen Colonies
*
Connecticut Colony
The ''Connecticut Colony'' or ''Colony of Connecticut'', originally known as the Connecticut River Colony or simply the River Colony, was an English colony in New England which later became Connecticut. It was organized on March 3, 1636 as a settl ...
*
Delaware Colony
Delaware Colony in the North American Middle Colonies consisted of land on the west bank of the Delaware River Bay. In the early 17th century the area was inhabited by Lenape and possibly the Assateague tribes of Native Americans. The first Eur ...
*
Province of Georgia
A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions outs ...
*
Province of Maryland
The Province of Maryland was an English and later British colony in North America that existed from 1632 until 1776, when it joined the other twelve of the Thirteen Colonies in rebellion against Great Britain and became the U.S. state of Maryland ...
*
Province of Massachusetts Bay
The Province of Massachusetts Bay was a colony in British America which became one of the Thirteen Colonies, thirteen original states of the United States. It was chartered on October 7, 1691, by William III of England, William III and Mary II ...
*
Province of New Hampshire
The Province of New Hampshire was a colony of England and later a British province in North America. The name was first given in 1629 to the territory between the Merrimack and Piscataqua rivers on the eastern coast of North America, and was nam ...
*
Province of New Jersey
The Province of New Jersey was one of the Middle Colonies of Colonial America and became the U.S. state of New Jersey in 1783. The province had originally been settled by Europeans as part of New Netherland but came under English rule after the ...
*
Province of New York
The Province of New York (1664–1776) was a British proprietary colony and later royal colony on the northeast coast of North America. As one of the Middle Colonies, New York achieved independence and worked with the others to found the Uni ...
*
Province of North Carolina
Province of North Carolina was a province of Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain that existed in North America from 1712(p. 80) to 1776. It was one of the five Southern Colonies, Southern colonies and one of the Thirteen Colonies, thir ...
*
Province of Pennsylvania
The Province of Pennsylvania, also known as the Pennsylvania Colony, was a British North American colony founded by William Penn after receiving a land grant from Charles II of England in 1681. The name Pennsylvania ("Penn's Woods") refers to W ...
*
Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations
The Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations was one of the original Thirteen Colonies established on the east coast of America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean. It was founded by Roger Williams. It was an English colony from 1636 until ...
*
Province of South Carolina
Province of South Carolina, originally known as Clarendon Province, was a province of Great Britain that existed in North America from 1712 to 1776. It was one of the five Southern colonies and one of the thirteen American colonies. The monar ...
*
Colony and Dominion of Virginia
The Colony of Virginia, chartered in 1606 and settled in 1607, was the first enduring English colony in North America, following failed attempts at settlement on Newfoundland by Sir Humphrey GilbertGilbert (Saunders Family), Sir Humphrey" (hist ...
Pre-Revolutionary War regions
† - indicates failed legal entities
New England
*
Acadia
Acadia (french: link=no, Acadie) was a colony of New France in northeastern North America which included parts of what are now the Maritime provinces, the Gaspé Peninsula and Maine to the Kennebec River. During much of the 17th and early ...
*
Dominion of New England
The Dominion of New England in America (1686–1689) was an administrative union of English colonies covering New England and the Mid-Atlantic Colonies (except for Delaware Colony and the Province of Pennsylvania). Its political structure represe ...
†
*
Equivalent Lands
The Equivalent Lands were several large tracts of land that the Province of Massachusetts Bay made available to settlers from the Connecticut Colony after April 1716. This was done as compensation for an equivalent area of territory that was under ...
*
King's College Tract The King's College Tract is a area of forested land in the vicinity of the present towns of Cambridge and Johnson in the U.S. state of Vermont. The tract was granted in 1764 by Lieutenant Governor Cadwallader Colden of the New York crown colony, i ...
*
Provinces of Maine†
**
Territory of Sagadahock
The Territory of Sagadahock, also called the Sagadahoc Colony and New Castle, was an English colonial territory which included the eastern part of what was later colonial Maine and was more sparsely settled than the western region. The area incl ...
**
Popham Colony
The Popham Colony—also known as the Sagadahoc Colony—was a short-lived English colonial settlement in North America. It was established in 1607 by the proprietary Plymouth Company and was located in the present-day town of Phippsburg, Ma ...
(or Sagadahoc Colony)†
**
Gorges-Mason Grant†
**
Mason Lands
**
Gorges Patent†
***
Lygonia Patent
Lygonia was a proprietary province in pre-colonial Maine, created through a grant from the Plymouth Council for New England in 1630 to lands then under control of Sir Ferdinando Gorges. The province was named for his mother, Cicely (Lygon) Gorges. ...
†
***
New Somersetshire
The Province of Maine refers to any of the various English colonies established in the 17th century along the northeast coast of North America, within portions of the present-day U.S. states of Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont, and the Canadian ...
†
**
Muscongus Patent (also known as the Waldo Patent and, eventually, the
Bingham Purchase
The Bingham Purchase refers to several tracts of land in the U.S. state of Maine,http://www.rootsweb.com/~mefrankl/ Franklin County, Maine Genealogy formerly owned by William Bingham.
These lands were granted to early colonizers in the 1630s, and ...
)
*
Massachusetts Bay Colony
The Massachusetts Bay Colony (1630–1691), more formally the Colony of Massachusetts Bay, was an English settlement on the east coast of North America around the Massachusetts Bay, the northernmost of the several colonies later reorganized as the ...
**
Narragansett Country†
*
New Hampshire Grants
The New Hampshire Grants or Benning Wentworth Grants were land grants made between 1749 and 1764 by the colonial governor of the Province of New Hampshire, Benning Wentworth. The land grants, totaling about 135 (including 131 towns), were made o ...
*
New Haven Colony
The New Haven Colony was a small English colony in North America from 1638 to 1664 primarily in parts of what is now the state of Connecticut, but also with outposts in modern-day New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware.
The history o ...
*
Plymouth Colony
Plymouth Colony (sometimes Plimouth) was, from 1620 to 1691, the British America, first permanent English colony in New England and the second permanent English colony in North America, after the Jamestown Colony. It was first settled by the pa ...
*
Saybrook Colony
The Saybrook Colony was an English colony established in late 1635 at the mouth of the Connecticut River in present-day Old Saybrook, Connecticut by John Winthrop, the Younger, son of John Winthrop, the Governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. ...
*
Wessagusset Colony
Wessagusset Colony (sometimes called the Weston Colony or Weymouth Colony) was a short-lived English trading colony in New England located in Weymouth, Massachusetts. It was settled in August 1622 by between fifty and sixty colonists who were ill-p ...
†
Mid-Atlantic
*
Granville District
The Granville District (or Granville's district) was an approximately 60-mile wide strip of land in the North Carolina colony adjoining the boundary with the Province of Virginia, lying between north latitudes 35° 34' and 36° 30'. From 1663 unti ...
*
East Jersey
The Province of East Jersey, along with the Province of West Jersey, between 1674 and 1702 in accordance with the Quintipartite Deed, were two distinct political divisions of the Province of New Jersey, which became the U.S. state of New Jersey. ...
*
West Jersey
West Jersey and East Jersey were two distinct parts of the Province of New Jersey. The political division existed for 28 years, between 1674 and 1702. Determination of an exact location for a border between West Jersey and East Jersey was often ...
*
New Netherland
New Netherland ( nl, Nieuw Nederland; la, Novum Belgium or ) was a 17th-century colonial province of the Dutch Republic that was located on the East Coast of the United States, east coast of what is now the United States. The claimed territor ...
and
its settlements
*
New Sweden
New Sweden ( sv, Nya Sverige) was a Swedish colony along the lower reaches of the Delaware River in what is now the United States from 1638 to 1655, established during the Thirty Years' War when Sweden was a great military power. New Sweden form ...
†
Southern
*
Province of Carolina
Province of Carolina was a province of England (1663–1707) and Great Britain (1707–1712) that existed in North America and the Caribbean from 1663 until partitioned into North and South on January 24, 1712. It is part of present-day Alaba ...
*
Fort Caroline
Fort Caroline was an attempted French colonial settlement in Florida, located on the banks of the St. Johns River in present-day Duval County. It was established under the leadership of René Goulaine de Laudonnière on 22 June, 1564, followin ...
†
*
Charlesfort
The Charlesfort-Santa Elena Site is an important early colonial archaeological site on Parris Island, South Carolina. It contains the archaeological remains of a French settlement called Charlesfort, settled in 1562 and abandoned the following y ...
†
*
La Florida
**
San Agustín (St. Augustine)
**
San Miguel de Gualdape
San Miguel de Gualdape (sometimes San Miguel de Guadalupe) is a former Spanish colony in present-day Georgetown County, South Carolina, founded in 1526 by Lucas Vázquez de Ayllón.In early 1521, Ponce de León had made a poorly documented, disast ...
† (in present-day South Carolina)
**
Mocama Province
Beginning in the second half of the 16th century, the Kingdom of Spain established a number of missions throughout ''La Florida'' in order to convert the Native Americans to Christianity, to facilitate control of the area, and to prevent its ...
†
*
Jamestown
*
Northern Neck Proprietary
The Northern Neck Proprietary – also called the Northern Neck land grant, Fairfax Proprietary, or Fairfax Grant – was a land grant first contrived by the exiled English King Charles II in 1649 and encompassing all the lands bounded by the Pot ...
(or "Fairfax Grant")
*
The Lost Colony of Roanoke†
*
Stuarts Town†
Interior
*
District of West Augusta
The District of West Augusta was a short-lived (1774–76) historical region of Colonial Virginia that encompassed much of what is now northern West Virginia and southwestern Pennsylvania.
History
Before the Colony of Virginia and the Provin ...
*
Illinois Country
The Illinois Country (french: Pays des Illinois ; , i.e. the Illinois people)—sometimes referred to as Upper Louisiana (french: Haute-Louisiane ; es, Alta Luisiana)—was a vast region of New France claimed in the 1600s in what is n ...
*
Indiana Company
Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th st ...
*
The Indian Reserve
*
Ohio Country (or The Ohio Company of Virginia)†
*
Province of Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirteen p ...
(lower portion below the
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes, also called the Great Lakes of North America, are a series of large interconnected freshwater lakes in the mid-east region of North America that connect to the Atlantic Ocean via the Saint Lawrence River. There are five lakes ...
)
Far West
Unlike the land to the east, most of the land west of the Mississippi River was under
French or
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...
rule until the first years of the 19th century.
*
La Louisiane
Louisiana (french: La Louisiane; ''La Louisiane Française'') or French Louisiana was an administrative district of New France. Under French control from 1682 to 1769 and 1801 (nominally) to 1803, the area was named in honor of King Louis XIV, ...
(French Louisiana, 1682–1762 and 1802–1803)
**
Arkansas Post
The Arkansas Post (french: Poste de Arkansea) (Spanish: ''Puesto de Arkansas''), formally the Arkansas Post National Memorial, was the first European settlement in the Mississippi Alluvial Plain and present-day U.S. state of Arkansas. In 168 ...
** The
German Coast
The German Coast (French: ''Côte des Allemands'', Spanish: ''Costa Alemana'', German: ''Deutsche Küste'') was a region of early Louisiana settlement located above New Orleans, and on the west bank of the Mississippi River. Specifically, from ea ...
*
Luisiana
Luisiana, officially the Municipality of Luisiana ( tgl, Bayan ng Luisiana), is a 4th class municipality in the province of Laguna, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 20,859 people.
Locals call the town ''Little ...
(Spanish Louisiana, 1762–1802)
*
Tejas
**
Fort Saint Louis†
*
Santa Fe de Nuevo México
Santa Fe de Nuevo México ( en, Holy Faith of New Mexico; shortened as Nuevo México or Nuevo Méjico, and translated as New Mexico in English) was a Kingdom of the Spanish Empire and New Spain, and later a territory of independent Mexico. The ...
*
Las Californias
The Californias (Spanish: ''Las Californias''), occasionally known as The Three Californias or Two Californias, are a region of North America spanning the United States and Mexico, consisting of the U.S. state of California and the Mexican stat ...
Colonies settled but unrecognized
*
Transylvania
Transylvania ( ro, Ardeal or ; hu, Erdély; german: Siebenbürgen) is a historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and south its natural border is the Carpathian Mountains, and to the west the Ap ...
†
*
Watauga Republic
Colonies proposed but unrealized
*
Charlotina Colony
*
Mississippi Colony
*
Vandalia Colony
Vandalia was the name in the late 1700s of a proposed British colony in North America. The colony would have been located south of the Ohio River, primarily in what are now West Virginia and northeastern Kentucky.
Vandalia was never approved b ...
*
Westsylvania
Westsylvania was a proposed state of the United States located in what is now West Virginia, southwestern Pennsylvania, and small parts of Kentucky, Maryland, and Virginia. First proposed early in the American Revolution, Westsylvania would have ...
Independent entities later joined to the Union
*
Kingdom of Hawaii
The Hawaiian Kingdom, or Kingdom of Hawaiʻi ( Hawaiian: ''Ko Hawaiʻi Pae ʻĀina''), was a sovereign state located in the Hawaiian Islands. The country was formed in 1795, when the warrior chief Kamehameha the Great, of the independent island ...
, later the
Republic of Hawaii
The Republic of Hawaii ( Hawaiian: ''Lepupalika o Hawaii'') was a short-lived one-party state in Hawaii between July 4, 1894, when the Provisional Government of Hawaii had ended, and August 12, 1898, when it became annexed by the United State ...
*
Republic of Texas
The Republic of Texas ( es, República de Tejas) was a sovereign state in North America that existed from March 2, 1836, to February 19, 1846, that bordered Mexico, the Republic of the Rio Grande in 1840 (another breakaway republic from Mex ...
*
Vermont Republic
The Vermont Republic ( French: ''République du Vermont''), officially known at the time as the State of Vermont ( French: ''État du Vermont''), was an independent state in New England that existed from January 15, 1777, to March 4, 1791. The ...
(also known as the Republic of New Connecticut)
Regions purchased from foreign powers
![Map of USA AK full](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8c/Map_of_USA_AK_full.png)
*
Louisiana Purchase
The Louisiana Purchase (french: Vente de la Louisiane, translation=Sale of Louisiana) was the acquisition of the territory of Louisiana by the United States from the French First Republic in 1803. In return for fifteen million dollars, or app ...
, 1803, from
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
, for $15,000,000
*
Florida Purchase (or the
Spanish Cession
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...
), 1819 (effective 1821), from
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
, for $5,000,000; included:
East Florida
East Florida ( es, Florida Oriental) was a colony of Great Britain from 1763 to 1783 and a province of Spanish Florida from 1783 to 1821. Great Britain gained control of the long-established Spanish colony of ''La Florida'' in 1763 as part of ...
,
West Florida
West Florida ( es, Florida Occidental) was a region on the northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico that underwent several boundary and sovereignty changes during its history. As its name suggests, it was formed out of the western part of former S ...
, and
Sabine Free State
The Neutral Ground (also known as the Neutral Strip, the Neutral Territory, and the No Man's Land of Louisiana; sometimes anachronistically referred to as the Sabine Free State) was a disputed area between Spanish Texas and the United States' new ...
or
Neutral Ground
*
Gadsden Purchase
The Gadsden Purchase ( es, region=MX, la Venta de La Mesilla "The Sale of La Mesilla") is a region of present-day southern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico that the United States acquired from Mexico by the Treaty of Mesilla, which took effe ...
, 1853, from
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
, for $10,000,000
*
Alaska Purchase
The Alaska Purchase (russian: Продажа Аляски, Prodazha Alyaski, Sale of Alaska) was the United States' acquisition of Alaska from the Russian Empire. Alaska was formally transferred to the United States on October 18, 1867, through a ...
(also called "Seward's Folly"), 1867, from
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
, for $7,200,000
*
Virgin Islands
The Virgin Islands ( es, Islas Vírgenes) are an archipelago in the Caribbean Sea. They are geologically and biogeographically the easternmost part of the Greater Antilles, the northern islands belonging to the Puerto Rico Trench and St. Croix ...
, 1917, from
Denmark
)
, song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast")
, song_type = National and royal anthem
, image_map = EU-Denmark.svg
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark
...
, for $25,000,000
Regions annexed from or ceded by foreign powers
*
American Samoa
American Samoa ( sm, Amerika Sāmoa, ; also ' or ') is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of the island country of Samoa. Its location is centered on . It is east of the International ...
; 1899, from
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
*
The Aroostook War Compromise Lands; 1842, split jointly claimed areas with
the U.K.
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
** Maine–New Brunswick Border
***
Republic of Indian Stream
The Republic of Indian Stream or Indian Stream Republic was an unrecognized republic in North America, along the section of the border that divides the current Canadian province of Quebec from the U.S. state of New Hampshire. It existed from July ...
***
South Acadia
**
Northwest Angle
The Northwest Angle, known simply as the Angle by locals, and coextensive with Angle Township, is a pene-exclave of northern Lake of the Woods County, Minnesota. Except for surveying errors, it is the only place in the contiguous United State ...
**
Rupert's Land
Rupert's Land (french: Terre de Rupert), or Prince Rupert's Land (french: Terre du Prince Rupert, link=no), was a territory in British North America which comprised the Hudson Bay drainage basin; this was further extended from Rupert's Land t ...
south of the
49th parallel
*
Guam
Guam (; ch, Guåhan ) is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. It is the westernmost point and territory of the United States (reckoned from the geographic cent ...
; 1898, from Spain
*
Mexican Cession
The Mexican Cession ( es, Cesión mexicana) is the region in the modern-day southwestern United States that Mexico originally controlled, then ceded to the United States in the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848 after the Mexican–American War ...
; effective 1848, from Mexico, including:
**
Alta California
Alta California ('Upper California'), also known as ('New California') among other names, was a province of New Spain, formally established in 1804. Along with the Baja California peninsula, it had previously comprised the province of , but ...
(California, Nevada, Utah)
**
Nuevo México (New Mexico, Arizona, parts of Texas, Colorado, Oklahoma, Wyoming, Kansas)
***
Provisional New Mexico
*
Oregon Country (U.S.); the 1846
Oregon Treaty
The Oregon Treaty is a treaty between the United Kingdom and the United States that was signed on June 15, 1846, in Washington, D.C. The treaty brought an end to the Oregon boundary dispute by settling competing American and British claims to t ...
finally split the jointly governed region (called
Columbia by the English) between the U.S. and
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
at the
49th parallel
*
Pembina Region
The Pembina Region ( ), also referred to as the Pembina District and Pembina Department, is the historic name of an unorganized territory of land that was ceded to the United States. The area included parts of what became North Dakota and a port ...
, formerly part of
Rupert's Land
Rupert's Land (french: Terre de Rupert), or Prince Rupert's Land (french: Terre du Prince Rupert, link=no), was a territory in British North America which comprised the Hudson Bay drainage basin; this was further extended from Rupert's Land t ...
and the
Red River Colony
The Red River Colony (or Selkirk Settlement), also known as Assiniboia, Assinboia, was a colonization project set up in 1811 by Thomas Douglas, 5th Earl of Selkirk, on of land in British North America. This land was granted to Douglas by the Hud ...
; (often referred to as the
British Cession of 1818) to U.S. in an exchange for the unorganized territory of the original Louisiana Purchase lands north of the 49th parallel
![West Florida Map](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/49/West_Florida_Map.png)
*
The Philippine Islands; 1898, from Spain; became a U.S. Territory (1900–1935) and a U.S.
commonwealth
A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with "republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the ...
(1935–1946)
*
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and Unincorporated ...
; 1898, from Spain
*
Texas annexation
The Texas annexation was the 1845 annexation of the Republic of Texas into the United States. Texas was admitted to the Union as the 28th state on December 29, 1845.
The Republic of Texas declared independence from the Republic of Mexico on ...
; annexed from Mexico in 1846, including most of present-day Texas and parts of Oklahoma, Colorado, Wyoming and No Man's Land; disputed with Mexico until the end of the Mexican–American War in 1848
** included old
Coahuila y Tejas
Coahuila y Tejas, officially the Estado Libre y Soberano de Coahuila y Tejas (), was one of the constituent states of the newly established United Mexican States under its 1824 Constitution.
It had two capitals: first Saltillo (1822–1825) for ...
areas
*
Republic of West Florida Annexation; seceded from Spain, 1810; disputed with Spain until 1821
** Baton Rouge District (annexed by the U.S., 1810)
**
Mobile District
The Mobile District was an administrative division of the Spanish colony of West Florida, which was claimed by the short-lived Republic of West Florida, established on September 23, 1810. Reuben Kemper led a small force in an attempt to capture M ...
(annexed by the U.S., 1812)
*
United States Minor Outlying Islands
The United States Minor Outlying Islands is a statistical designation defined by the International Organization for Standardization's ISO 3166-1 code. The entry code is ISO 3166-2:UM. The minor outlying islands and groups of islands consist ...
; most claimed under the
Guano Islands Act
The Guano Islands Act (, enacted August 18, 1856, codified at §§ 1411-1419) is a United States federal law passed by the U.S. Congress that enables citizens of the United States to take possession, in the name of the United States, of unclai ...
as outside the jurisdiction of other nations (1856 and later)
File:Map of Philippines.png, The Philippines was a commonwealth
A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with "republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the ...
of the United States, 1935–1946
File:US insular areas.svg, Worldwide location of current U.S. insular area
In the law of the United States, an insular area is a U.S.-associated jurisdiction that is not part of the 50 states or the District of Columbia. This includes fourteen U.S. territories administered under U.S. sovereignty, as well as three sov ...
s:
File:Puerto Rico (orthographic projection).png, The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
Ceded or purchased Native American regions
![Indiana Indian treaties](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a2/Indiana_Indian_treaties.svg)
*
Black Hawk Purchase
The Black Hawk Purchase, also known as the Forty-Mile Strip or Scott's Purchase, extended along the West side of the Mississippi River from the north boundary of Missouri North to the Upper Iowa River in the northeast corner of Iowa. It was fif ...
; $640,000; purchased 1832; Michigan Territory (eventually Iowa)
*
Cherokee Outlet
The Cherokee Outlet, or Cherokee Strip, was located in what is now the state of Oklahoma in the United States. It was a 60-mile-wide (97 km) parcel of land south of the Oklahoma-Kansas border between 96 and 100°W. The Cherokee Outlet wa ...
; $7,000,000; purchased 1893; Oklahoma Territory (eventually Oklahoma)
*
Cherokee Strip
The Cherokee Outlet, or Cherokee Strip, was located in what is now the state of Oklahoma in the United States. It was a 60-mile-wide (97 km) parcel of land south of the Oklahoma-Kansas border between 96 and 100°W. The Cherokee Outlet wa ...
; a disputed two-mile wide tract of land between the
Cherokee Nation
The Cherokee Nation (Cherokee: ᏣᎳᎩᎯ ᎠᏰᎵ ''Tsalagihi Ayeli'' or ᏣᎳᎩᏰᎵ ''Tsalagiyehli''), also known as the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, is the largest of three Cherokee federally recognized tribes in the United States. It ...
and
Kansas
Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...
that was eventually ceded to Kansas in 1866
* The
Indian Territory
The Indian Territory and the Indian Territories are terms that generally described an evolving land area set aside by the Federal government of the United States, United States Government for the relocation of Native Americans in the United St ...
; ceded by the U.S. to
Native Americans in 1834
*
Jackson Purchase
The Jackson Purchase, also known as the Purchase Region or simply the Purchase, is a region in the U.S. state of Kentucky bounded by the Mississippi River to the west, the Ohio River to the north, and the Tennessee River to the east.
Jackson's ...
; $300,000; purchased by Tennessee and Kentucky from the
Chickasaw Nation
The Chickasaw Nation (Chickasaw language, Chickasaw: Chikashsha I̠yaakni) is a federally recognized tribes, federally recognized Native Americans in the United States, Native American tribe, with its headquarters located in Ada, Oklahoma in th ...
in 1818
*
Platte Purchase
The Platte Purchase was a land acquisition in 1836 by the United States government from American Indian tribes of the region. It comprised lands along the east bank of the Missouri River and added to the northwest corner of the state of Miss ...
; $7,500; purchased 1836; Missouri
*
Saginaw Cession; ceded 1819; Michigan Territory (eventually Michigan)
Interstate, territorial, and federal cessions
The following are
state cessions
The state cessions are those areas of the United States that the separate states ceded to the federal government in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The cession of these lands, which for the most part lay between the Appalachian Mountai ...
made during the building of the U.S.
* The
Delaware Wedge, dispute with Pennsylvania settled in 1921.
*
Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
; to
the Federal Government from
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
and
Maryland
Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...
, 1790.
*
District of Columbia retrocession
A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...
; the return to Virginia of the District of Columbia lands which Virginia had originally ceded for its creation, 1847.
*
Greer County, Texas
Greer County, a county created by the Texas legislature on February 8, 1860 (and was named for John Alexander Greer, Lieutenant Governor of Texas), was land claimed by both Texas and the United States. The region of Greer County is now in present ...
; a disputed county claimed both by Texas and the
Federal Government
A federation (also known as a federal state) is a political entity characterized by a union of partially self-governing provinces, states, or other regions under a central federal government (federalism). In a federation, the self-governin ...
; to Oklahoma Territory, 1896.
* The
Honey Lands
The Honey War was a bloodless territorial dispute in 1839 between Iowa Territory and Missouri over their border.
The dispute over a strip running the entire length of the border, caused by unclear wording in the Missouri Constitution on bound ...
; a disputed tract of land between the
Territory of Iowa
The Territory of Iowa was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 4, 1838, until December 28, 1846, when the southeastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the state of Iowa. The remain ...
and
State of Missouri
Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...
; to
State of Iowa
Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to the ...
, 1851
*
District of Kentucky
Kentucky County (then alternately spelled Kentucke County) was formed by the Commonwealth of Virginia from the western portion (beyond the Cumberland Mountains) of Fincastle County effective December 31, 1776. The name of the county was taken ...
; from Virginia; became the
Commonwealth of Kentucky
Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...
, 1792.
*
Illinois County
Illinois County, Virginia, was a political and geographic region, part of the British Province of Quebec, claimed during the American Revolutionary War on July 4, 1778 by George Rogers Clark of the Virginia Militia, as a result of the Illinois C ...
; from Virginia; became
Northwest Territory
The Northwest Territory, also known as the Old Northwest and formally known as the Territory Northwest of the River Ohio, was formed from unorganized western territory of the United States after the American Revolutionary War. Established in 1 ...
, 1784.
*
District of Maine
The District of Maine was the governmental designation for what is now the U.S. state of Maine from October 25, 1780 to March 15, 1820, when it was admitted to the Union as the 23rd state. The district was a part of the Commonwealth of Massachuse ...
; from
; became the
State of Maine
Maine () is a U.S. state, state in the New England and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and territories of Canad ...
, 1820.
* The
Toledo Strip
The Toledo War (1835–36), also known as the Michigan–Ohio War or the Ohio–Michigan War, was an almost bloodless boundary dispute between the U.S. state of Ohio and the adjoining territory of Michigan over what is now known as the Toledo S ...
; the object of the nearly bloodless
Toledo War
The Toledo War (1835–36), also known as the Michigan–Ohio War or the Ohio–Michigan War, was an almost bloodless boundary dispute between the U.S. state of Ohio and the adjoining territory of Michigan over what is now known as the Toledo S ...
between
Ohio
Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...
and
Michigan
Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...
; to Ohio, 1837.
*
Washington District
The Washington District is a Norfolk Southern Railway line in the U.S. state of Virginia that connects Alexandria, Virginia, Alexandria and Lynchburg, Virginia, Lynchburg. Most of the line was originally built from 1850 to 1860 by the Orange and ...
; from North Carolina; became the
Southwest Territory
The Territory South of the River Ohio, more commonly known as the Southwest Territory, was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 26, 1790, until June 1, 1796, when it was admitted to the United States a ...
, 1790.
*
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the Bur ...
; from
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
; separating itself from the
Confederacy, declared 1861; admitted to the Union in 1863.
*
The Western Reserve; from
Connecticut
Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...
to the
Northwest Territory
The Northwest Territory, also known as the Old Northwest and formally known as the Territory Northwest of the River Ohio, was formed from unorganized western territory of the United States after the American Revolutionary War. Established in 1 ...
(Ohio), 1800.
* The
Yazoo lands
The Yazoo lands were the central and western regions of the U.S. state of Georgia, when its western border stretched back to the Mississippi. The Yazoo lands were named for the Yazoo nation, that lived on the lower course of the Yazoo, in wha ...
; from Georgia to the
Mississippi Territory
The Territory of Mississippi was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from April 7, 1798, until December 10, 1817, when the western half of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Mississippi. T ...
, 1802.
Former organized territories
![Northwest-territory-usa-1787](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9e/Northwest-territory-usa-1787.png)
The following is a list of the 31
U.S. territories
Territories of the United States are sub-national administrative divisions overseen by the federal government of the United States. The various American territories differ from the U.S. states and tribal reservations as they are not sover ...
that have become states, in the order of the date
organized. (All were considered
incorporated.)
*
Northwest Territory
The Northwest Territory, also known as the Old Northwest and formally known as the Territory Northwest of the River Ohio, was formed from unorganized western territory of the United States after the American Revolutionary War. Established in 1 ...
(1787–1803), became the state of
Ohio
Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...
, and the Territory of Indiana.
*
Territory South of the River Ohio (also known as the
Southwest Territory
The Territory South of the River Ohio, more commonly known as the Southwest Territory, was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 26, 1790, until June 1, 1796, when it was admitted to the United States a ...
) (1790–1796) became the
State of Tennessee
Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...
.
*
Territory of Mississippi
The Territory of Mississippi was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from April 7, 1798, until December 10, 1817, when the western half of the territory was admitted to the United States, Union as the History o ...
(1798–1817) became the
State of Mississippi and the Territory of Alabama.
*
Territory of Indiana
The Indiana Territory, officially the Territory of Indiana, was created by a congressional act that President John Adams signed into law on May 7, 1800, to form an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 4, ...
(1800–1816) split into the Illinois Territory, the Michigan Territory, and the
State of Indiana
State may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State
* ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States
* ''Our S ...
.
*
Territory of Orleans
The Territory of Orleans or Orleans Territory was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from October 1, 1804, until April 30, 1812, when it was admitted to the Union as the State of Louisiana.
History
In 1804, ...
(1804–1812) became the
State of Louisiana
Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...
.
*
Territory of Michigan
The Territory of Michigan was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from June 30, 1805, until January 26, 1837, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Michigan. Detroit w ...
(1805–1837) became
State of Michigan
Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...
and the Territory of Wisconsin.
*
Territory of Louisiana
The Territory of Louisiana or Louisiana Territory was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 4, 1805, until June 4, 1812, when it was renamed the Missouri Territory. The territory was formed out of the ...
(1805–1812) (preceded by the
District of Louisiana
The District of Louisiana, or Louisiana District, was an official and temporary United States government designation for the portion of the Louisiana Purchase that had not been organized into the Territory of Orleans or "Orleans Territory" (the p ...
), then renamed the Territory of Missouri.
*
Territory of Illinois
The Territory of Illinois was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 1, 1809, until December 3, 1818, when the southern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Illinois. Its c ...
(1809–1818) split into the
State of Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rockford ...
and additions to the Michigan Territory.
*
Territory of Missouri
The Territory of Missouri was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from June 4, 1812, until August 10, 1821. In 1819, the Territory of Arkansas was created from a portion of its southern area. In 1821, a southea ...
(1812–1821) became the
State of Missouri
Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...
and Unorganized Territory (the eastern part of which was attached to the Territory of Michigan in 1834).
*
Territory of Alabama (1817–1819) became
State of Alabama
(We dare defend our rights)
, anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama"
, image_map = Alabama in United States.svg
, seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery
, LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville
, LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...
.
*
Territory of Arkansaw
The Arkansas Territory was a territory of the United States that existed from July 4, 1819, to June 15, 1836, when the final extent of Arkansas Territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Arkansas. Arkansas Post was the first territo ...
(1819–1836) became the
State of Arkansas
Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the Osage la ...
, additions to the unorganized territory of the original Louisiana Purchase, and the unorganized Indian Territory (which eventually spawned
Indian Territory
The Indian Territory and the Indian Territories are terms that generally described an evolving land area set aside by the Federal government of the United States, United States Government for the relocation of Native Americans in the United St ...
,
Oklahoma Territory
The Territory of Oklahoma was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 2, 1890, until November 16, 1907, when it was joined with the Indian Territory under a new constitution and admitted to the Union as th ...
and
No Man's Land
No man's land is waste or unowned land or an uninhabited or desolate area that may be under dispute between parties who leave it unoccupied out of fear or uncertainty. The term was originally used to define a contested territory or a dump ...
).
*
Territory of Florida
The Territory of Florida was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 30, 1822, until March 3, 1845, when it was admitted to the Union as the state of Florida. Originally the major portion of the Spanish te ...
(1822–1845) became the
State of Florida
Florida is a U.S. state, state located in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia (U.S. state), Geo ...
.
*
Territory of Wisconsin
The Territory of Wisconsin was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 3, 1836, until May 29, 1848, when an eastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Wisconsin. Belmont was ...
(1836–1848) split into the
State of Wisconsin
Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Mich ...
, the Iowa Territory and Unorganized Territory.
*
Territory of Iowa
The Territory of Iowa was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 4, 1838, until December 28, 1846, when the southeastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the state of Iowa. The remain ...
(1838–1846) split into the
State of Iowa
Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to the ...
and unorganized territory of the original Louisiana Purchase.
*
Territory of Oregon (1848–1859) preceded by the unrecognized
Oregon Country
Oregon Country was a large region of the Pacific Northwest of North America that was subject to a long dispute between the United Kingdom and the United States in the early 19th century. The area, which had been created by the Treaty of 1818, co ...
; split into the
State of Oregon
Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...
and Washington Territory.
*
Territory of Minnesota
The Territory of Minnesota was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 3, 1849, until May 11, 1858, when the eastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Minnesota and wester ...
(1849–1858) preceded (mostly) by unorganized territory of the original Louisiana Purchase; split into the
State of Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to i ...
and unorganized territory of the original Louisiana Purchase.
*
Territory of New Mexico
The Territory of New Mexico was an organized incorporated territory of the United States from September 9, 1850, until January 6, 1912. It was created from the U.S. provisional government of New Mexico, as a result of '' Nuevo México'' becoming ...
(1850–1912) preceded by
Nuevo Mexico (the southern part was known as the
Arizona Territory
The Territory of Arizona (also known as Arizona Territory) was a territory of the United States that existed from February 24, 1863, until February 14, 1912, when the remaining extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the state of ...
(1861–1864) by the
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America (CSA), commonly referred to as the Confederate States or the Confederacy was an unrecognized breakaway republic in the Southern United States that existed from February 8, 1861, to May 9, 1865. The Confeder ...
); split into the
Arizona Territory
The Territory of Arizona (also known as Arizona Territory) was a territory of the United States that existed from February 24, 1863, until February 14, 1912, when the remaining extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the state of ...
and the
State of New Mexico
)
, population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano)
, seat = Santa Fe
, LargestCity = Albuquerque
, LargestMetro = Tiguex
, OfficialLang = None
, Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...
.
*
Territory of Utah
The Territory of Utah was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from September 9, 1850, until January 4, 1896, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Utah, the 45th state. ...
(1850–1896) preceded by
Alta California
Alta California ('Upper California'), also known as ('New California') among other names, was a province of New Spain, formally established in 1804. Along with the Baja California peninsula, it had previously comprised the province of , but ...
and the unrecognized
State of Deseret
The State of Deseret (modern pronunciation , contemporaneously ) was a proposed state of the United States, proposed in 1849 by settlers from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) in Salt Lake City. The provisional state ...
; split into the
State of Utah
Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to its we ...
, the Nevada Territory, additions to the Colorado Territory and additions to the Wyoming Territory.
*
Territory of Washington
The Territory of Washington was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 2, 1853, until November 11, 1889, when the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Washington. It was created from the ...
(1853–1889) became the
State of Washington
Washington (), officially the State of Washington, is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. Named for George Washington—the first U.S. president—the state was formed from the western part of the Washington ...
and additions to the Idaho Territory.
*
Territory of Kansas
The Territory of Kansas was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 30, 1854, until January 29, 1861, when the eastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the free state of Kansas.
T ...
(1854–1861) preceded by unorganized territory of the original Louisiana Purchase. Part became the modern
State of Kansas
Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...
; the western part became part of the Colorado Territory.
*
Territory of Nebraska
The Territory of Nebraska was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 30, 1854, until March 1, 1867, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Nebraska. The Nebraska ...
(1854–1867) preceded by unorganized territory of the original Louisiana Purchase; split into the
State of Nebraska
Nebraska () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas ...
, the Dakota Territory, additions to the Idaho Territory and additions to the Colorado Territory.
*
Territory of Colorado
The Territory of Colorado was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from February 28, 1861, until August 1, 1876, when it was admitted to the Union as the State of Colorado.
The territory was organized in the w ...
(1861–1876) preceded by parts of the territories of Kansas, Utah, New Mexico and Nebraska; became the
State of Colorado
Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the ...
. (See also
Jefferson Territory
The Territory of Jefferson was an extralegal and unrecognized United States territory that existed from October 24, 1859 until the creation of the Colorado Territory on February 28, 1861. The Jefferson Territory, named for Founding Father and Un ...
.)
*
Territory of Nevada
The Territory of Nevada (N.T.) was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 2, 1861, until October 31, 1864, when it was admitted to the Union as the State of Nevada.
Prior to the creation of the Nevada ...
(1861–1864) preceded by the Utah Territory and the unrecognized
State of Deseret
The State of Deseret (modern pronunciation , contemporaneously ) was a proposed state of the United States, proposed in 1849 by settlers from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) in Salt Lake City. The provisional state ...
; became the
State of Nevada
Nevada ( ; ) is a state in the Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the 7th-most extensive, t ...
.
*
Territory of Dakota (1861–1889) became the
State of North Dakota, the
State of South Dakota
South Dakota (; Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state in the North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux Native American tribes, who comprise a large portio ...
, additions to the Idaho Territory and additions to the Wyoming Territory.
*
Territory of Arizona
The Territory of Arizona (also known as Arizona Territory) was a territory of the United States that existed from February 24, 1863, until February 14, 1912, when the remaining extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the state of ...
(1863–1912) became the
State of Arizona
Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Four ...
and an addition to the
State of Nevada
Nevada ( ; ) is a state in the Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the 7th-most extensive, t ...
.
*
Territory of Idaho
The Territory of Idaho was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 3, 1863, until July 3, 1890, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as Idaho.
History
1860s
The territory w ...
(1863–1890) preceded by parts of the territories of Washington, Dakota, and Nebraska; became the
State of Idaho
Idaho ( ) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Montana and Wyomi ...
, the Montana Territory, additions to the Dakota Territory and additions to the Wyoming Territory.
*
Territory of Montana
The Territory of Montana was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 26, 1864, until November 8, 1889, when it was admitted as the 41st state in the Union as the state of Montana.
Original boundaries
T ...
(1864–1889) became the
State of Montana
Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbia ...
.
* Territory of Wyoming (1868–1890) preceded by parts of the territories of: Dakota, Utah and Idaho; became the Wyoming, State of Wyoming.
* Territory of Oklahoma (1890–1907) (preceded by the unorganized
Indian Territory
The Indian Territory and the Indian Territories are terms that generally described an evolving land area set aside by the Federal government of the United States, United States Government for the relocation of Native Americans in the United St ...
(1834–1907) and the Neutral Strip; became the Oklahoma, State of Oklahoma.
* Territory of Hawaii (1898–1959) preceded by the
Republic of Hawaii
The Republic of Hawaii ( Hawaiian: ''Lepupalika o Hawaii'') was a short-lived one-party state in Hawaii between July 4, 1894, when the Provisional Government of Hawaii had ended, and August 12, 1898, when it became annexed by the United State ...
; became the Hawaii, State of Hawaii.
* Territory of Alaska (1912–1959) (preceded by the Department of Alaska and the District of Alaska); became the Alaska, State of Alaska.
Internal land grants, cessions, districts, departments, claims and settlements
The following are land grants, cessions, defined districts (official or otherwise) or named settlements made within an area that was already part of a U.S. state or territory that ''did not'' involve international treaties or Native Americans in the United States, Native American cessions or land purchases.
* Chickamauga Wars (1776–1794)#Cumberland Settlements, Cumberland District, North Carolina (also called the District of Miro); Tennessee.
*
District of Louisiana
The District of Louisiana, or Louisiana District, was an official and temporary United States government designation for the portion of the Louisiana Purchase that had not been organized into the Territory of Orleans or "Orleans Territory" (the p ...
; Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota, North and South Dakota, Montana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Colorado, Wyoming; renamed Missouri Territory in 1812.
* Military Tract of 1812; Illinois, Michigan, Arkansas, Missouri.
* Ohio Country; parts of Ohio, Indiana, Pennsylvania, West Virginia.
Alaska
* District of Alaska; renamed the Alaska Territory in 1912.
Colorado
* Pike's Peak Country
Iowa
* Half-Breed Tract
* Keokuk's Reserve
Nebraska
* Nemaha Half-Breed Reservation
New York
![WNY5](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f4/WNY5.PNG)
* Central New York Military Tract
* The Holland Purchase
* Macomb's Purchase
* Phelps and Gorham Purchase#Mill Yard Tract, Mill Yard Tract
* The Morris Reserve
* Phelps and Gorham Purchase
* The Triangle Tract
Ohio
![Ohio Lands](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1e/Ohio_Lands.svg)
* Canal Lands
* College Lands
* College Township
* Congress Lands (or Congressional Lands, 1798–1821)
** Congress Lands North of Old Seven Ranges
** Congress Lands West of Miami River
** Congress Lands East of Scioto River
** North and East of First Principal Meridian
** South and East of the First Principal Meridian
* Dohrman Tract
* Ephraim Kimberly Grant
* Firelands or Sufferers' Lands
* French Grant
* Indian Land Grants
* Maumee Road Lands
* Michigan meridian (or Michigan Meridian Survey; also Toledo Tract)
* Miami & Erie Canal Lands
* Ministerial Lands
* Moravian Indian Grants
** Gnadenhutten Tract
** Salem Tract
** Schoenbrunn Tract
* Ohio & Erie Canal Lands
* Ohio Company of Associates, The Ohio Company
** Donation Tract
** First Purchase
** Purchase on the Muskingum (or Second Purchase)
* Refugee Tract
* Salt Reservations (or Salt Lands)
* School Lands
* Seven Ranges (or Old Seven Ranges)
* Symmes Purchase (or Miami Purchase; also the Land Between the Miamis)
* Turnpike Lands
* Twelve Mile Square Reservation
* Two Mile Square Reservation
* United States Military District
* Virginia Military District
* Zane's Tracts (or Zane's Grant; also Ebenezer Zane Tract)
Oklahoma
* Big Pasture
*
Indian Territory
The Indian Territory and the Indian Territories are terms that generally described an evolving land area set aside by the Federal government of the United States, United States Government for the relocation of Native Americans in the United St ...
or Indian country, The Oklahoma Indian Country
* Oklahoma Panhandle, Neutral Strip (or No Man's Land)
* Unassigned Lands
Indian reserves
* Cherokee Nation (19th century), The original and current Cherokee Nation
* Cheyenne–Arapaho Reserve
* Comanche, Kiowa and Plains Apache, Apache Reserve
* Iowa tribe, Iowa Reserve
* Kaw (tribe), Kaw Reserve
* Kickapoo people, Kickapoo Reserve
* Osage Nation, Osage Reserve
* Ponca and Otoe tribe, Otoe–Missouria Reserve
* Potawatomi, Citizen Potawatomi and Shawnee, Absentee Shawnee Reserve
* Sac and Fox Nation, Sac and Fox Reserve
* Tonkawa, Tonkawa Reserve
* Wichita people, Wichita and Caddo Reserve
Pennsylvania
* Erie Triangle
* Treaty of Fort Stanwix, New Purchase
* Walking Purchase
* Welsh Tract
Federal military districts and departments
These entities were sometimes the only governmental authority in the listed areas, although they often co-existed with civil governments in scarcely populated states and territories. Civilian administered "military" tracts, districts, departments, etc., will be listed elsewhere.
Central United States
* Department of the Northwest (1862–1865) Dakota, Minnesota, Montana, Wisconsin, Iowa, Nebraska
[Heidler, David Stephen; Heidler, Jeanne T.; Coles, David J.; ''Encyclopedia of the American Civil War: A Political, Social, and Military History''; W. W. Norton & Company; New York; 2000; p. 590.]
** District of Minnesota (1862–1865)
** District of Wisconsin (1862–1865)
** District of Iowa (1862–1865)
** District of Dakota (1862–1866)
** District of Montana (1864–1866)
* Department of the Missouri (1861–1865) Missouri, Arkansas, Illinois, part of Kentucky, and later Kansas; re-configured in 1865 as part of the Division of the Missouri.
* Department of the Missouri, Division of the Missouri (1865–1891).
** Department of Dakota (1866–1911) Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, and parts of Idaho, South Dakota and the Yellowstone portion of Wyoming.
** Department of the Missouri (1865–1891) Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Indian Territory, and Territory of Oklahoma.
** Department of the Platte (1866–1898) Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, Dakota Territory, Utah Territory, Wyoming (except Yellowstone), and a portion of Idaho.
** Department of Texas (1871–1880) (originally part of the Department of the Gulf) Texas after 1865.
* Department of New Mexico (1854–65) New Mexico Territory; previously part of the District of California and the Department of the West.
Pacific area
* Pacific Division (United States Army), Pacific Division (1848–1853) lands won in the Mexican–American War; became the original Department of the Pacific in 1853.
** Military Department 10 (1848–1851) California.
** Military Department 11 (1848–1851) Oregon Territory.
* Department of the Pacific (1853–1858; and 1861–1865); separated into the Department of California and the Department of Oregon in 1858.
** District of Oregon (1853–1858) Washington Territory, Oregon Territory.
** District of California (1853–1858) California, New Mexico Territory; Utah added 1858
During the American Civil War, the Department of the Pacific had six subordinate military districts:
* District of Oregon (military), District of Oregon (headquarters at Fort Vancouver) January 15, 1861 – July 27, 1865
* District of California (headquarters at San Francisco, co-located with Department of the Pacific). Independent command from Department from (July 1, 1864 – July 27, 1865); those parts of California not in other districts.
* District of Southern California (September 25, 1861 – July 27, 1865); Counties of Southern California (southward from San Luis Obispo County, California, San Luis Obispo and Tulare County, California, Tulare Counties).
* District of Humboldt (December 12, 1861 – July 27, 1865); Del Norte, Humboldt, Klamath, Mendocino Counties of California.
* District of Utah (August 6, 1862 – July 27, 1865); Utah Territory, Nevada Territory, later State of Nevada.
* District of Arizona (March 7, 1865 – July 27, 1865); Territory of Arizona
The Department of California (1858–1861) comprised the southern part of the Department of the Pacific: California, Nevada, and southern part of Oregon Territory; merged into the Department of the Pacific as the District of California.
The Department of Oregon (1858–1861) comprised the northern part of the Department of the Pacific: Washington Territory and Oregon Territory.
* Military Division of the Pacific (1865–1891).
** Department of Alaska (1868–1884) became the civilian-ruled District of Alaska.
** Department of Arizona (1865–1891) Arizona Territory; included New Mexico Territory after 1885.
** Department of the Columbia (1865–1891) Oregon, Washington Territory, part of Idaho Territory, and Alaska after 1870.
*** District of Oregon (1865–1867) Washington Territory, Oregon Territory and Idaho Territory.
** New Department of California (1865–1891) California, Nevada Territory, Arizona Territory, and part of New Mexico Territory.
![Reconstruction military districts](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c3/Reconstruction_military_districts.svg)
The south
* Department of the Gulf (1862–1865; created by the U.S. for the American Civil War, Civil War) Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, and Texas.
* Trans-Mississippi (or Trans-Mississippi Department; Confederate States of America, CSA) (1862–1865). Formerly "Military Dept. 2"; Missouri, Arkansas, Texas, Indian Territory (now Oklahoma), Kansas, and Louisiana west of the Mississippi River.
The west
* Department of the West (1853–1861): all U.S. lands between the Mississippi River and the Military District of the Pacific not included in other Districts or Departments.
Retroceded possessions and overseas territories
![CanalZone](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0c/CanalZone.png)
* The Milk River (Montana-Alberta), Milk River and Poplar River (Montana–Saskatchewan), Poplar River cessions to the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
(Treaty of 1818)
* Commonwealth of the Philippines to Philippines, Republic of the Philippines (1946)
* Chamizal, Chamizal, Texas, to
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
(1964)
* Swan Islands, Honduras, Swan Islands to Honduras (1971)
* Rio Rico, Texas, (Horcón Tract) to Mexico (1977)
* Panama Canal Zone to Panama (1979)
* Canton and Enderbury Islands (administered jointly with the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, U.K.) to Kiribati (1979)
U.S. military overseas regions
* United States Military Government in Cuba (1898–1902)
* Executive Order 10077, United States Military Government in Guam (1898–1950)
* United States Military Government of the Philippine Islands (1898–1902)
* Puerto Rican Campaign, United States Military Government in Puerto Rico (1898–1900)
* Second Occupation of Cuba, United States Military Government in Cuba (1906-1909)
* United States Occupation of Veracruz,
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
(1914)
* Allied Military Government for Occupied Territories (after World War II)
** Allied-occupied Austria, American Occupation Zone of Austria (1945–1955)
** Allied-occupied Germany, American Occupation Zone of Germany (1945–1949)
*** American Occupation Zone of West Berlin, Berlin (1945–1990)
** Free Territory of Trieste, Free Territory of Trieste, Zone A (1947–1954, administered jointly with the United Kingdom, U.K.)
* Occupation of Japan, American occupation of Japan (1945–1952)
* Occupation of Japan#Ending the occupation, Iwo Jima, Japan (1945–1968)
* United States Civil Administration of the Ryukyu Islands, Ryukyu Islands, Japan (Okinawa, 1945–1972)
* United States Army Military Government in Korea, American Occupation of South Korea (1945–1948)
* Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, Pacific Trust Territories; included the Palau, Republic of Palau and the Marshall Islands (Micronesia under U.S. administration, 1947–1986)
* Coalition Provisional Authority, Iraq (2003–2004)
Functioning but non-sanctioned territories
![State_of_Deseret,_vector_image_cropped_-_2011](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/57/State_of_Deseret%2C_vector_image_cropped_-_2011.svg)
These "territories" had actual, functioning governments (recognized or not):
* Cimarron Territory
*
State of Deseret
The State of Deseret (modern pronunciation , contemporaneously ) was a proposed state of the United States, proposed in 1849 by settlers from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) in Salt Lake City. The provisional state ...
* State of Franklin, State of Frankland / Franklin
*
Jefferson Territory
The Territory of Jefferson was an extralegal and unrecognized United States territory that existed from October 24, 1859 until the creation of the Colorado Territory on February 28, 1861. The Jefferson Territory, named for Founding Father and Un ...
* Kansas Territory (1854–1861) had two different governments in different cities, pro-slavery and anti-slavery, each claiming to be the real, lawful government of the entire territory. Since Kansas entered the union as a free state in 1861, there has only been one capital, Topeka, Kansas. It entered as a free state in 1861 because the entire pro-slavery block in Congress, which would not have allowed this, had left to become the Confederacy.
* Long Republic
* Nataqua Territory
* Trans-Oconee Republic
Civil War-related
![United States 1860-1870](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3e/United_States_1860-1870.gif)
These are functioning governments created as a result of the attempted secession of the Confederacy during the American Civil War (1861–1865). Some were enclaves within enemy-held territories:
* Confederate States of America, Confederate States of America (CSA) – see map.
** Confederate Arizona (parts of the territories of Arizona Territory, Arizona and New Mexico Territory, New Mexico)
** Dade County, Georgia#History, State of Dade
** Republic of South Carolina, Second Republic of South Carolina
These were regions disassociated from neighboring areas due to opposing views:
* Nickajack
* Jones County, Mississippi#Free State of Jones, Free State of Jones
* Republic of Winston (see Winston County, Alabama)
* State of Scott, seceded from Tennessee in the American Civil War, Tennessee and became a Union enclave (see Scott County, Tennessee)
* Town Line, New York
*Van Zandt County, Texas, Free State of Van Zandt, seceded from Texas to be its own republic.
Non-extant entities
Proclaimed
These entities have been proclaimed (or have existed de facto) in the past, but have never had an elected, recognized, or functioning government:
* Absaroka (proposed state), Absaroka
* Kingdom of Beaver Island
* Republic of California (also known as the "Bear Flag Republic"); June 14, 1846 – July 9, 1846, thereafter becoming the unorganized "Territory of California"
* Conch Republic
* Republic of Kinney
* Republic of Madawaska
* McDonald Territory
* State of Muskogee, Sovereign State of Muskogee
* Republic of the Rio Grande
* Great Republic of Rough and Ready
* State of Westmoreland (see also Westmoreland County, Connecticut)
* Winneconne, Wisconsin, Sovereign State of Winneconne
Proposed
![Superior-Proposed-State-Expanded](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a6/Superior-Proposed-State-Expanded.png)
These are state or territorial proposals actually brought to either a congressional, legislative or popular vote, but which never became a functioning entity:
* State of Eastern Shore (proposed state), Delmarva or, "Eastern Shore"; 1998
* The List of U.S. state secession proposals#California, State of Shasta (1852); State of Klamath (1853); followed by the Jefferson (Pacific state), State of Jefferson (1854) for virtually the same Pacific northwest areas
* State of Jefferson
** Proposed Jefferson (Mountain state), State of Jefferson (Rocky Mountains), 1859, was an attempt to legitimize the
Jefferson Territory
The Territory of Jefferson was an extralegal and unrecognized United States territory that existed from October 24, 1859 until the creation of the Colorado Territory on February 28, 1861. The Jefferson Territory, named for Founding Father and Un ...
, stalled by the Civil War; failed proposal.
** Proposed Jefferson (Southern state), State of Jefferson (Texas), 1870 and 1915 statehood proposals both died in committee.
* Territory of Colorado (California) 1860, stalled in Congress by the Civil War; a proposal to form a territory from Southern California following a successful popular referendum.
* State of Kanawha a proposed name for the state that became
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the Bur ...
, 1861
* State of Lincoln
** Northwestern Lincoln (Northwestern US state), State of Lincoln, several proposals after 1865
** Southern Lincoln (Southern US state), State of Lincoln, 1869
* State of Sequoyah, 1905
* Secession in New York, State of West New York, several proposals brought into the New York Legislature since the 1990s, all of which have been defeated
Proposals never voted on
These are failed state or territorial proposals whose establishment proposals never were voted on, or never made it out of committee:
* Cascadia (independence movement), Cascadia
* Superior (proposed U.S. state), State of Superior (or Ontonagon), 1858
*
East Florida
East Florida ( es, Florida Oriental) was a colony of Great Britain from 1763 to 1783 and a province of Spanish Florida from 1783 to 1821. Great Britain gained control of the long-established Spanish colony of ''La Florida'' in 1763 as part of ...
*
West Florida
West Florida ( es, Florida Occidental) was a region on the northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico that underwent several boundary and sovereignty changes during its history. As its name suggests, it was formed out of the western part of former S ...
Native American-related proposed regions
* Aztlán; a future reincarnation of a defunct, mythical Aztec, Aztec Empire to be "re"-established in lands now found in the Southwestern U.S., a central theme in Chicano political activism
* Comancheria; area inhabited and intermittently controlled by the Comanche and their allies.
* Dinétah; the claimed original Navajo homeland.
* Republic of Lakotah; the proposed Sioux upper Midwestern mega-state.
* Lenapehoking; would be named for the Delaware or Lenape, Lenilenape Indians.
Regional nicknames
![US 9 regions](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/77/US_9_regions.svg)
* Eastern United States
** East Coast of the United States, The East Coast
** Northeastern United States, The Northeast
*** New England
*** Mid-Atlantic States
**** The Burned-over district, Burnt-Over District
** South Atlantic States
** Appalachia
** East North Central States
* Southern United States, The South
** Border states (American Civil War), Border States
** The Deep South
** Dixie
* Midwestern United States, The Midwest
** The Great Plains
*** The Dust Bowl
* Western United States, The West
** Mountain States
*** Rocky Mountains, The Rockies
*** Inland Northwest (United States), Inland Empire (Washington and Idaho)
*** Great Basin
** Southwestern United States, The Southwest
*** The Four Corners
** West Coast of the United States, The West Coast
*** Pacific Northwest, The Pacific Northwest
Belts
List of belt regions of the United States, Belts are loosely defined sub-regions found throughout the United States that are named for a perceived commonality among the included areas, which is often related to the region's economy or climate.
* Bible Belt
* Black Belt in the American South, Black Belt
* Borscht Belt
* Breadbasket#North America, Breadbasket of the United States
* Cotton Belt
* Grain Belt or Corn Belt
* Mormon Corridor or "Jello Belt"
* Lead Belt
* Rust Belt
* Snowbelt, Snow Belt
* Sun Belt
* Tornado Alley
See also
* European colonization of the Americas
* List of former United States counties
*
List of regions of the United States
This is a list of some of the ways ''regions'' is defined in the United States. Many regions are defined in law or regulations by the federal government; others by shared culture and history, and others by economic factors.
Interstate regions C ...
* Political divisions of the United States
* Territorial evolution of the United States
* Territories of the United States on stamps
* United States territorial acquisitions
References
External links
Official Name and Status History of the several States and U.S. Territories* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090909073913/http://xroads.virginia.edu/~MAP/terr_hp.html United States Territorial Maps 1775–1920]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Historic Regions Of The United States
Former organized territories of the United States,
Former regions and territories of the United States,
Colonial settlements in North America, United States
Colonization history of the United States
Former countries in North America, United States
Former territorial entities in North America, United States
Geographic history of the United States
Histories of territories of the United States,
Proposed states and territories of the United States
Political divisions of the United States