Descriptions of each U.S. State history, economy, climate, geography, fun facts, and points of interest; also six links to more information.
History: Thousands of years ago, Native Americans came to the land of New Jersey. The later tribes were the Lenape, Munsee, and Unalachtigo. In 1524 Italian explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano became the first European to visit the region. The Dutch and Swedes claimed the area in the early 1600s and built settlements. The land was […]
History: Evidence suggests indigenous peoples traveled through Oklahoma as early as 12,000 years ago, at the end of the last ice age. They were ancestors of the Wichita, Teyas, Kichai, and Caddo tribes. Spanish explorer Francisco de Coronado led an expedition through the state in 1542. In the 1700’s, the French claimed the area and […]
History: Texas is at the cross-roads of several Native American culture groups. These groups became the Caddoan, Apache, Athabaskan, Kickapoo, Choctaw, Kiowa, and Uto-Aztecan tribes. The area was explored by the Spanish in 1519 by sea and in 1541 by land (Coronado expedition). The area was controlled by Spain then Mexico for several centuries. Many […]
History: For about 13,000 years, humans have lived in what today is the Dakotas. A few different groups occupied the area, such as the Mandan, Hidatsa, Crow, Lakota, Santee, and Cheyenne tribes. The LaVerendrye group claimed the region for France as part of the Louisiana Territory in 1743. In 1803, the area came under U.S. […]
History: Paleo-Indians entered the Tennessee area almost 12,000 years ago. They developed into the Muscogee people, and were joined later by the Yuchi, Chickasaw, Choctaw, and Cherokee. The Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto passed through in 1540. People from South Carolina first settled in Tennessee in 1756, followed by settlers from other colonies. After the […]
History: For about 13,000 years, humans have lived in what today is South Dakota. A few different groups occupied the area, such as the Arikara in the Missouri River valley. The LaVerendrye group claimed the region for France as part of the Louisiana Territory in 1743. In 1803, the area came under U.S. control as […]
History: The first inhabitants of present-day South Carolina arrived between 11,000- 12,000 years ago. In 1600, perhaps 15,000-20,000 native people were living in the area with three major language groups; Siouan, Iroquoian, and Muskogean. The first Europeans to visit South Carolina were Spanish explorers sailing from Santo Domingo (Hispaniola) in 1521. The first white European […]
History: The first people to inhabit what is now Rhode Island came about 20,000 years ago. Native American tribes living in the area during the time of European exploration were – the Narrgansett, Wampanoag, Pequot, and Niantic. The Italian explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano explored the area in 1524. In 1636, Roger Williams, expelled from Massachusetts […]
History: Indigenous peoples inhabited what is now Pennsylvania over 19,000 years ago, based on artifacts found. Before European exploration and settlement, Native American tribes like the Lenape, Susquehanna, Trockwae, Seneca, Shawnee, and Oneida were living there. The Dutch began settling the area in 1631, while the Swedish arrived in 1638. The British took over control […]
History: Archaeologists say that the Ohio Valley was inhabited by nomadic people as early as 13,000 BC. Robert de La Salle, a French explorer, arrived around 1670 and claimed the area for France. French fur traders began to settle in the area, but by 1763, the British took over after winning the French and Indian […]
