On January 2, 1788, Georgia became the fourth state to ratify the Constitution and join the Union. As with most of America, Georgia was inhabited by native people long before any Europeans came to the land. Although there were various… Read More
The first written records of Europeans in the area that became known as Florida began in 1513 when the Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon went ashore. He was also the first to name the new land, calling it la… Read More
Delaware was the first state to ratify the Constitution in 1787, making it the first state in the new Union. It is the second smallest state in America and has only three counties: New Castle, Kent, and Sussex. All three… Read More
Connecticut was one of the first 13 colonies established in the New World, and it has a history full of famous people and sayings. This state was first inhabited by the Native Americans, then the Dutch, who got pushed out… Read More
Colorado is sometimes referred to as the “Centennial State” in honor of the one-hundredth year of the Declaration of Independence and the date it was admitted into the Union on November 7, 1876. It is the 38th state. Like many… Read More
California, the Golden State, was the 31st state to be added to the Union. It is the third-largest, after Alaska and Texas, and has a rich history in Native American life, Spanish ministry, and gold mining. Because of the differing… Read More
The Territory of Arkansas became the 25th state of the Union on June 15, 1836. “Arkansas” is a French interpretation of the Native American Sioux tribe’s word “acansa,” which means downstream place. The Early Years Thousands of years ago, the… Read More
Arizona was the 48th state admitted into the United States, but its history spans many thousands of years. Over the past 2,000 years, the society developed and became more advanced. This more developed group, now referred to as Native Americans,… Read More
Alabama became the 22nd state on December 14, 1819. It gained the nickname “Heart of Dixie” because it is in the middle of the Deep South, nicknamed Dixieland. Originally, the land was settled by two groups of Native Americans: the… Read More
Nevada became the 36th state of the Union on October 31, 1864. It was during the campaign to re-elect Abraham Lincoln, and the Republicans wanted the extra three electoral votes the new state would bring to the table. There wasn’t… Read More
Nebraska, the Cornhusker State, didn’t join the Union until two years after the Civil War. It became the 37th state on March 1, 1867. Its name came from the Otoe Indians and means “flat water,” referring to the Platte River,… Read More
Montana entered the Union as the 41st state on November 8, 1889. Many of the U.S. states got their names from the indigenous tribes of the region; however, Montana is a Spanish translation from “montaňa” which means “mountainous region.” This… Read More