The History Book Club discussion

This is a folder dedicated to NORTH AMERICA. This thread is the overview thread for the history of each state of the United States. There will be one thread set up per state.

Please feel free to add books, information about events that have occurred or will occur in the future, famous favorite sons and daughters of each state, places, attractions, and any historical events, etc. as well as the history of any aspect of the state's government, culture or anything else of distinction.

Also, please feel free to add any images of historical importance in each state.

Note: The History Book Club does not allow any spam or self promotion of any kind.

All - We hope you add to any of these wonderful state threads in the United States folder.

If you are from any state and would like to be the state host for your state on our site, please let us know.

Multiple folks can share that title and we will list your names on the thread as state hosts - the more the merrier and we will benefit from your first hand knowledge about the state. We will send you helpful hints and we will always be by your side to assist you. It would be a lot of fun and folks in a particular state will be able to find like minded members who are interested in various state activities, events, people, places, history and books. Sort of a virtual meet up for the group in your area right on line discussing what is important in your location and state.

It would also help our global community learn about your state through your eyes. At the very least we invite you to add to your particular state's thread or any of the others. Enjoy.



The United States Census Bureau defines four statistical regions, with nine divisions.

The Census Bureau region definition is "widely used [...] for data collection and analysis," and is the most commonly used classification system.

We will begin below with this classification and then show the ten standard federal regions as classified by the OMB (Office of Management and Budget.)

The states in the Northeastern most corner of the United States are the New England States:

The New England States are part of Region 1: Northeast. Division 1 includes all of New England (Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island)

Maine
New Hampshire
Vermont
Massachusetts
Connecticut
Rhode Island

New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. New England is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean, Canada (the Canadian Maritimes and Quebec) and the State of New York.

In one of the earliest European settlements in North America, Pilgrims from England first settled in New England in 1620, to form Plymouth Colony. Ten years later, the Puritans settled north of Plymouth Colony in Boston, thus forming Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1630.

Over the next 130 years, New England participated in four French and Indian Wars, until the British defeated the French and their native allies in North America. In the late 18th century, the New England Colonies initiated the resistance to the British Parliament's efforts to impose new taxes without the consent of the colonists.

The Boston Tea Party was a protest that angered Great Britain, which responded with the Coercive Acts, stripping the colonies of self-government. The confrontation led to open warfare in 1775, the expulsion of the British from New England in spring 1776, and the Declaration of Independence in July 1776.

The first movements of American literature, philosophy, and education originated in New England. The region played a prominent role in the movement to abolish slavery and was the first region of the United States to be transformed by the Industrial Revolution.

Today, New England is a major world center of education, high technology, insurance, and medicine. Boston is its cultural, financial, educational, medical and transportation center.

Locally, each state is subdivided into small incorporated municipalities known as New England towns, which are often governed by town meeting. Voters have voted more often for liberal candidates at the state and federal level than those of any other region in the United States.

New England has the only non-geographic regional name recognized by the federal government. It maintains a strong sense of cultural identity set apart from the rest of the country, although the terms of this identity are often contested, paradoxically combining Puritanism with liberalism, agrarian life with industry, and isolation with immigration.

The states that are usually called Middle Atlantic States are:

New York
New Jersey
Pennsylvania

With New England they comprise the Northeast and are part of Region 1 - Northeast. They are considered Division 2 of Region 1 called the Northeast.

The Mid-Atlantic states is one of nine divisions of the northwest region of the United States. According to the US Central Bureau, the Mid-Atlantic states include Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York.

This division is a relatively affluent region in the country, and includes some of the most prosperous counties in the nation.

New Jersey
New Jersey shares its borders with three other US states: New York to the north and east, Delaware to the southwest, and Pennsylvania to the west. The state also has coastline on the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, and coastline on the Delaware Bay to the southwest. New Jersey covers an area of 22,591.38 square km, had an estimated population of 9,005,644 in 2017, and Trenton its capital city. It is the third most prosperous US state in terms of median household income. Although New Jersey has a multifaceted economy, pharmaceuticals, finance, printing and publishing, food processing, and tourism are some of the state's key industries.

New York
New York is another Mid-Atlantic state. The state has an area of 141,300 square km, and with a population of 19,849,399 people, New York is the fourth most populated US state. Albany is the state capital, but New York City is the world’s richest city and its metropolitan area accounts for more than 40% of the state's total population. New York borders five other US states, as well as Canada. The state shares a maritime border with Rhode Island. 13.6% of New York's total area is water, and large parts of the state’s borders are water boundaries. The state has shorelines on two Great Lakes (Lake Erie and Lake Ontario), as well as coastline on the Atlantic Ocean.

Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania is also located in the Mid-Atlantic region of the US. The state borders six other US states, as well as the Canadian province of Ontario. Pennsylvania occupies an area of 119,283 square km, has an estimated population of 12,805,537, and Harrisburg is the state capital city. 1,269 square km of the state's total area are inland waters, while the waters of Lake Erie make up 1,940 square km.

Region 2 is called the Midwest Region. Prior to June 1984, the Midwest Region was designated as the North Central Region. It consists of two divisions - Division 3 and Division 4.

The first division is called the East North Central States.

Division 3: East North Central (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin)

Illinois
Indiana
Michigan
Ohio
Wisconsin

The second division is called the West North Central States.

Division 4: West North Central (Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota)

Iowa
Kansas
Minnesota
Missouri
Nebraska
North Dakota
South Dakota

Midwest, also called Middle West or North Central States, region, northern and central United States, lying midway between the Appalachian and Rocky mountains and north of the Ohio River and the 37th parallel.

The Midwest, as defined by the federal government, comprises the states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.

Actually composed of two regions, the Northwest Territory, or the Old Northwest, and the Great Plains, the Midwest has become more an idea than a region: an area of immense diversity but somehow consciously representative of a national average.

Region 3 is called the South. There are three divisions - South Atlantic, East South Central and West South Central which are Divisions 5, 6 and 7.

Division 5: South Atlantic (Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, District of Columbia, and West Virginia)

Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Maryland
North Carolina
South Carolina
Virginia
District of Columbia
West Virginia

Division 6: East South Central (Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Tennessee)

Alabama
Kentucky
Mississippi
Tennessee

Division 7: West South Central (Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas)

Arkansas
Louisiana
Oklahoma
Texas

Region 4 is called the West. There are two divisions in the West - Division 8 which is called Mountain and Division 9 which is called Pacific.

Division 8: Mountain (Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming)

Arizona
Colorado
Idaho
Montana
Nevada
New Mexico
Utah
Wyoming

Division 9: Pacific (Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington)

Alaska
California
Hawaii
Oregon
Washington

The ten standard federal regions were established by OMB (Office of Management and Budget) Circular A-105, "Standard Federal Regions," in April 1974, and required for all executive agencies. I

In recent years, some agencies have tailored their field structures to meet program needs and facilitate interaction with local, state, and regional counterparts.

However, the OMB must still approve any departures.

Region I: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont

Region II: New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands

Region III: Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia

Region IV: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee

Region V: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin

Region VI: Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas

Region VII: Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska

Region VIII: Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming

Region IX: Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands

Region X: Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington

Note: OMB Circular A-105 was rescinded on June 8, 1995

The Federal Reserve Act of 1913 divided the country into twelve districts with a central Federal Reserve Bank in each district.

These twelve Federal Reserve Banks together form a major part of the Federal Reserve System, the central banking system of the United States. Missouri is the only U.S. state to have two Federal Reserve locations within its borders, as some states are divided into more than one district.

Boston
New York
Philadelphia
Cleveland
Richmond
Atlanta
Chicago
St. Louis
Minneapolis
Kansas City
Dallas
San Francisco

Because of the above, I will be adding threads for the territories in this folder as follows:

Puerto Rico - Region II (and surrounding island municipalities)
* Caja de Muertos
* Culebra
* Desecheo Island
* Isla de Mona
* Puerto Rico (main island)
* Cordillera Central
* El Yunque
* Vieques

US Virgin Islands - Region II (Virgin Islands)

(Minor islands of the US Virgin Islands) and Saint Croix, Saint John and Saint Thomas

American Samoa - Region IX (Samoan Islands)
* Manu'a Islands
* Ofu-Olosega
* Ta'ū
* Rose Atoll
* Swains Island [note 3]
* Tutuila and Aunu'u

Guam - Region IX (Mariana Islands) and Cocos Island
* Cocos Island
* Guam (main island)
* Ritidian Point
* Tumon

Northern Mariana Islands - Region IX (Mariana Islands)
- Northern Mariana Islands -
* Northern Islands
* Alamagan
* Anatahan
* Agrihan
* Asuncion Island
* Farallon de Medinilla
* Farallon de Pajaros
* Guguan
* Maug Islands
* Pagan
* Sarigan
* Rota
* Saipan
* Tinian

Aleutian Islands (most belong to Alaska)
- The islands, known before 1867 as the Catherine Archipelago, comprise five groups (east to west)
* the Fox Islands
* Islands of Four Mountains
* Andreanof Islands
* Rat Islands, and
* Near Islands

The Russian Aleutians will be added to the Russia folder:
Russian Aleutians is organized as Aleutsky District in Kamchatka Krai.
It comprises
* Commander Islands
* Bering Island
* Medny Island
* Sea Lion Rock
* Sea Otter Rocks
* Tufted Puffin Rock (Kamen Toporkov or Ostrov Toporkov)
* Kamen Ariy

Wake Island (and the US Minor Outlying Islands)
- Baker Island,
- Howland Island,
- Jarvis Island,
- Johnston Island,
- Kingman Island,
- Midway Atoll, Navassa Island, Palmyra Atoll and Wake Island