Formation of the United States

Part II - History of each State

Posted Aug 1, 2012
Last Updated Dec 10, 2012

Great Britain had 21 colonies in North America.  In 1776, 13 of these colonies declared independence.  Over a period of time, the United States began to add more land via purchases and wars.  This land was acquired as territories which eventually became states, the last being added in 1950's (Hawaii and Alaska).  The following chart shows every state with its history, date of entry into the United States, if it was an original colony, a territory, and its alignment during the American Civil War.

List of States Abbr. Colony Territory Civil War Statehood Notes
Alabama AL   Yes Confederacy 1819 Became U.S Territory in 1817
Alaska AK   Yes N/A 1959 Became U.S. Territory in 1912 Purchased from Russia.
Arizona AZ   Yes Confederacy  & Union 1912 Became U..S Territory in 1863 but also claimed by Confederacy
Arkansas AR   Yes Confederacy  1836 Became U..S Territory in 1819
California CA     Union  1850 Alta California was a province of New Spain until 1821, and then of Mexico until 1848. It became American under the Treaty of Hidalgo. At that time, Alta California included all of contemporary Upper California, northern Arizona, all of Nevada and Utah, and part of southwestern Wyoming.
Colorado CO   Yes Union  1876 Became U..S Territory in 1861
Connecticut CT Yes   Union  1776/1778 Originally one of the 13 British Colonies that declared independence and revolted from Britain.
Delaware DE Yes   Confederacy  1776/1787 Originally one of the 13 British Colonies that declared independence and revolted from Britain.
Florida FL   Yes Confederacy  1845 Became U..S Territory in 1822.  Originally the Spanish territory of la Florida, and later the provinces of East and West Florida, it was purchased by the  United States in 1819
Georgia GA Yes   Confederacy  1776/1788 Originally one of the 13 British Colonies that declared independence and revolted from Britain.
Hawaii HI   Yes N/A 1959 Became U..S Territory in 1898.  Formerly Kingdom of Hawaii until 1893. and then the Republic of Hawaii.
Idaho ID   Yes Union  1890 Became U.S Territory in 1863.  Originally part of the vast Oregon Territory
Illinois IL   Yes Union  1818 Became U.S Territory in 1809.  French until 1763, then British, then part of Virginia
Indiana IN   Yes Union  1816 Became U.S Territory in 1800.  Created from Northwest Territory
Iowa IO   Yes Union  1846 Became U.S Territory in 1838 from the Missouri Territory. Part of Louisiana Purchase
Kansas KS   Yes Union  1861 Became U.S Territory in 1854.
Kentucky KY     Union  1792 Originally southwestern Virginia
Louisiana LA   Yes Confederacy  1812 Became U.S in 1805.  Acquired as part of Louisiana Purchase
Maine ME     Union  1820 District of Maine was part of Massachusetts until Massachusetts allowed statehood for Maine
Maryland MD Yes   Union  1776/1788 Originally one of the 13 British Colonies that declared independence and revolted from Britain.
Massachusetts MA Yes   Union  1776/1788 Originally one of the 13 British Colonies that declared independence and revolted from Britain.
Michigan MI   Yes Union  1837 Became U.S Territory in 1805 from the Northwest Territory Originally part of French Quebec, then part of Virginia, then Northwest Territory
Minnesota MN   Yes Union  1858 Became U.S Territory in 1849
Mississippi MS   Yes Confederacy  1817 Became U.S Territory in 1798.  Organized from land disputed with Spain and also Georgia
Missouri MO   Yes Union  1821 Became U.S Territory in 1812.  Originally part of the Lousiana Territory.  Renamed to avoid confustion with state of Louisiana.
Montana MT   Yes Union  1889 Became U.S Territory in 1864. Acquired as part of Louisiana Purchase.  First Oregon Territory, then Dakota Territory, then Idaho Territory
Nebraska NE   Yes Union  1867 Became U.S Territory in 1854.
Nevada NV   Yes Union  1864 Became U.S Territory in 1861 from the Utah Territory.  Original name was Washoe.  It was separated because of animosity between LDS and non-LDS residents and Lincoln needed more votes in the electoral college.
New Hampshire NH Yes   Union  1776/1788 Originally one of the 13 British Colonies that declared independence and revolted from Britain.
New Jersey NJ Yes   Union  1776/1787 Originally one of the 13 British Colonies that declared independence and revolted from Britain.
New Mexico NM   Yes Union  1912 Became U.S Territory in 1850 following the Mexican-American War in the Treaty of Hidalgo
New York NY Yes   Union  1776/1788 Originally one of the 13 British Colonies that declared independence and revolted from Britain.
North Carolina NC Yes   Confederacy  1776/1789 Originally one of the 13 British Colonies that declared independence and revolted from Britain.
North Dakota ND   Yes Union  1889 Became U.S Territory (Dakota Territory)  in 1861.  Part of Louisiana Purchase
Ohio OH   Yes Union  1803 Became U.S Territory in 1787 as part of Northwest Territory.  Called the Ohio Country
Oklahoma OK   Yes Union  1907 Became U.S Territory in 1890 from Indian Territory.  recombined with the existing  Indian Territory upon statehood
Oregon OR   Yes Union  1859 Became U.S Territory in 1848.  Included present Oregon, Washington, Idaho and parts of Wyoming and Montana.  Both France and England also claimed parts of the territory.  It originally include part of  what is now British Columbia.
Pennsylvania PA Yes   Union  1776/1787 Originally one of the 13 British Colonies that declared independence and revolted from Britain.
Rhode Island RI Yes   Union  1776/1790 Originally one of the 13 British Colonies that declared independence and revolted from Britain.
South Carolina SC Yes   Confederacy  1776/1788 Originally one of the 13 British Colonies that declared independence and revolted from Britain.
South Dakota SD   Yes Union  1889 Became U.S Territory (Dakota Territory)  in 1861.  Part of Louisiana Purchase
Tennessee TN   Yes Confederacy  1796 from 1790 to 1796 it was known as an incorporated territory known as the Territory South of the Ohio River.  It was purchased from the Cherokees as part of the Transylvania Purchase.
Texas TX     Confederacy  1845 Part of Spanish New Spain, then United Mexican States.  Became Republic of Texas in 1836. Annexed by U.S. in 1845 and carved into Texas and parts of New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado, and Wyoming
Utah UT   Yes Union  1896 Became U.S Territory in 1850 as part of a compromise to balance power between slave and free states votes. The creation of the Utah Territory was partially the result of the petition sent by the Mormon pioneers who wanted creation of the State of Deseret.
Vermont VT     Union  1791 Created as Republic of Vermont 1777 from New York and New Hampshire
Virginia VA Yes   Confederacy  1776/1788 Originally one of the 13 British Colonies that declared independence and revolted from Britain.
Washington WA   Yes Union  1889 Became U.S Territory in 1853 from part of Oregon Territory.
West Virginia WV     Union  1863 When Virginia seceded from the Union in 1861, Pro-Union counties seceded from Virginia; the Union members of the Virginia legislature approved this at Wheeling in 1861. Congress granted statehood to West Virginia, in 1863.
Wisconsin WI   Yes Union  1848 Became U.S Territory in 1836.  Originally part of Northwest Territory, then Indiana Territory, then Illinois Territory, then Michigan Territory.
Wyoming WY   Yes Union  1890 Became U.S Territory in 1868.  Originall part of both Louisiana Purchase and Oregon Territory
             
District of Columbia DC     Union  Created 1791 Not a State, but an independent district - the National Captial.  Land donated by Maryland and Virginia. Created by  U.S. Constitution, Article 1 Section 8.
             
Franklin       N/A 1784-1788 Also known as Free Republic of Franklin.  Applied to Continental Congress for Statehood as Frankland. North Carolina donated the land to satisfy a federal debt.  It fell 2 votes short of admission and was returned to North Carolina.  It encompassed parts of western North Carolina and a piece of what is now north-eastern Tennessee.







There were orginally 21 British Colonies - The following remained loyal to Great Britain:
     Quebec,
     Newfoundland
     Nova Scotia (included Prince Edward Isle, New Brunswick and part of Maine)
     Bermuda
     The Bahamas
     Jamaica
     East Florida (sold to Spain and then purchased by U.S.in 1819)
     West Florida (sold to Spain and then purchased by U.S.in 1819)

Counties in Virginia that became part of West Virginia or Kentucky
West Virginia was part of Virginia, then formed as a state on 20 June 1863
Kentucky was part of the Virginia Colony, then formed as a state on 1 June 1792
Note:  Counties in Blue were not Virginia Counties - created in West Virginia
Note Counties in Yellow became Kentucky
Barbour – before 1843 Harrison, Lewis, or Randolph
Berkeley – before 1772 Frederick
Boone – before 1847 Cabell, Kanawha or Logan
Braxton – before 1836 Kanawha, Lewis or Nicolas – in 1850 gained some territory from Kanawha and Lewis
Brooke – before 1797 Ohio
Cabell – before 1809 Kanawha
Calhoun – before 1856 Gilmer
Clay – before 1858 Braxton or Nicolas
Doddridge – before 1845 Harrison, Lewis, Ritchie or Tyler
Fayette – before 1831 Greenbrier, Kanawha or Logan
Gilmer – Before 1845 Kanawha or Lewis
Grant WV– From Hardy
Greenbrier – before 1778 Botetourt or Montgomery
Hampshire  -before 1754 Frederick Co VA.  (divided into Hampshire and Mineral counties in WV) in 1880 gained territory from Mineral
Hancock – before 1848 Brooke
Hardy – before 1786 Hampshire
Harrison – before 1784 Monongalia. In 1810 picked up some territory from Ohio Co.
Jackson – before 1831 Kanawha, Mason or Wood – in 1870 gained territory from Mason
Jefferson – before 1801 Berkeley
Kanawha – before 1789 Greenbrier or Montgomery
Kentucky County- Formed from Fincastle County in 1780, then divided into Fayette, Jefferson, and Lincoln Counties, then further divided into Bourbon, Madison, Mason, Mercer, Nelson, and Woodford Counties.  These 9 counties became Kentucky in 1792.
King George
Lewis – before 1816 Harrison
Lincoln WV (from parts of Logan, Cabell, Boone, and Kanawha)
Logan – before 1824 Cabell, Giles, and Kanawha
Madison
Marion – before 1842 Harrison or Monongalia
Marshall – before 1835 Ohio
Mason – before 1804 Kanawha
McDowell – before 1858 Tazewell
Mercer – before 1837 Giles or Tazewell – 1850 gained some territory from Monroe
Mineral WV – from Hampshire
Mingo WV– from Logan in 1895
Monongalia – before 1766 Augusta
Monroe – before 1799 Greenbrier
Morgan – before 1820 Berkeley or Hampshire
Nelson
Nicholas – before 1818 Greenbrier or Kanawha
Ohio – before 1766 Augusta
Pendleton
Pleasants – before 1851 Ritchie, Tyler or Wood
Pocahontas – before 1821 Bath, Pendleton or Randolph
Preston – before 1818 Monongalia in 1840 gained territory from Randolph in 1850 gained more territory from Monongalia
Putnam – before 1848 Cabell, Kanawha or Mason
Raleigh – before 1850 Fayette,  In 1880 gained territory from Randolph
Randolph
Ritchie – before 1843 Harrison, Lewis or Wood
Roane – before 156 Gilmer, Jackson, Kanawha or Wirt
Summers WV– from parts of Greenbrier, Fayette and Mercer
Taylor – before 1844 Barbour, Harrison, Marion or Preston
Tucker – before 156 Randolph.  In 1880 gained territory from Barbour
Tyler – before 1814 Tyler
Upsher – before 1851 Barbour or Lewis in 1870 gained territory from Randolph
Wayne – before 1842 Cabell.  In 1880 gained territory from Lincoln
Webster – before 1860 Braxton, Nicolas, and Randolph. In 1882 gained territory from Greenbrier and Nicholas
Wetzel – before 1846 Tyler
Wirt – before 1848 Jackson or Wood – in 1870 gained territory from Wirt
Wood – before 1798 Harrison
Wyoming – before 1850 Logan

Yohogania County in Virginia – given to Pennsylvania in 1785


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