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 | ||||||