40-754: The Territory of Louisiana or Louisiana Territory was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 4, 1805, until June 4, 1812, when it was renamed the Missouri Territory . The territory was formed out of the District of Louisiana , which consisted of the portion of the Louisiana Purchase north of the 33rd parallel (which is now the Arkansas – Louisiana state line ). The Eighth Congress of
80-489: A more complete list of regions and subdivisions of the United States used in modern times, see List of regions of the United States . † - indicates failed legal entities Unlike the land to the east, most of the land west of the Mississippi River was under French or Spanish rule until the first years of the 19th century. The following are state cessions made during the building of the U.S. The following
120-585: A peninsula in Lake Champlain that, while south of the surveyed border, was discovered to be north of 45° north , which was the border set by the Treaty of Paris and thus in British territory. Consequently, construction on the fort was abandoned. The Webster–Ashburton Treaty specified that section of the border was to follow the surveyed line, rather than the exact parallel, thus moving the fort's area into
160-532: A result of the attempted secession of the Confederacy during the American Civil War (1861–1865). Some were enclaves within enemy-held territories: These were regions disassociated from neighboring areas due to opposing views: Belts are loosely defined sub-regions found throughout the United States that are named for a perceived commonality among the included areas, which is often related to
200-443: Is a list of the 31 U.S. territories that have become states, in the order of the date organized . (All were considered incorporated .) The following are land grants, cessions, defined districts (official or otherwise) or named settlements made within an area that was already part of a U.S. state or territory that did not involve international treaties or Native American cessions or land purchases. These entities were sometimes
240-457: Is considered to have had the most legitimate claim to the vast northwest, dividing it into counties and maintaining some limited control. The entirety of the new United States was claimed by Great Britain, including Machias Seal Island and North Rock , two small islands off the northeast coast which remain disputed up to the present. [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] Because of ambiguities and poor knowledge of geography,
280-497: The Guano Islands Act . Many additional islands were listed as bonded on this date, but based on the coordinates they were either phantoms or duplicates. In addition, Sarah Ann Island was claimed, which may have existed and would be sighted as late as 1917, but has since disappeared. Dakota Territory was organized from Nebraska Territory and the unorganized territory north of it. Nebraska Territory's western border
320-803: The Marshall Islands , Federated States of Micronesia , and Palau emerged from the trust territory as independent nations. The last major international change was the acquisition in 1904, and return to Panama in 1979, of the Panama Canal Zone , an unincorporated US territory which controlled the Panama Canal . The final cession of formal control over the region was made to Panama in 1999. States have generally retained their initial borders once established. Only three states ( Kentucky , Maine , and West Virginia ) have been created directly from area belonging to another state (although at
360-667: The contiguous United States , commonly called the "lower 48". In 1959, Hawaii was the 50th and most recent state admitted. The capital was not specifically established; at the time, the Continental Congress met in Philadelphia . Many states had vaguely defined and surveyed borders; these are not noted as contested in the maps unless there was an active dispute. The borders of North Carolina were particularly poorly surveyed, its border with South Carolina having been done in several pieces, none of which truly matched
400-546: The Philippines, which was then being governed as a U.S. insular area . The borders specified in the Treaty of Paris of 1898 had excluded these islands; the new treaty simply ceded "any and all islands belonging to the Philippine Archipelago". The United States recognized the sovereignty of Tuvalu over Funafuti , Nukufetau , Nukulaelae , and Niulakita . The Banco Convention of 1905 between
440-516: The United States on March 26, 1804, passed legislation entitled "An act erecting Louisiana into two territories, and providing for the temporary government thereof," which established the Territory of Orleans and the District of Louisiana as organized incorporated U.S. territories . With regard to the District of Louisiana, this organic act , which went into effect on October 1, 1804, detailed
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#1732758475574480-590: The United States and Mexico allowed, in the event of sudden changes in the course of the Rio Grande (as by flooding), for the border to be altered to follow the new course. The sudden changes often created bancos (land surrounded by bends in the river that became segregated from either country by a cutoff, often due to rapid accretion or avulsion of the alluvial channel), especially in the Lower Rio Grande Valley. When these bancos are created,
520-569: The United States and its overseas possessions has evolved over time , from the colonial era to the present day. It includes formally organized territories, proposed and failed states, unrecognized breakaway states , international and interstate purchases, cessions , and land grants , and historical military departments and administrative districts. The last section lists informal regions from American vernacular geography known by popular nicknames and linked by geographical, cultural, or economic similarities, some of which are still in use today. For
560-470: The United States, and a new fort, Fort Montgomery , would be built on the spot in 1844. As the earlier line was surveyed, even though it did not match the definition, it was deemed to be the legitimate border. The treaty was vague on which strait should be the border between Vancouver Island and the continent, thus causing a dispute over ownership of the San Juan Islands . It specified "through
600-545: The United States, where it enlarged Georgia south to 31° north , indicating that only the original definition of West Florida was to be ceded to Spain. The local Spanish governors also made a move to occupy forts along the Mississippi River , with claims to everything south of the Tennessee River ; it is unknown how official or strong these claims were, and they are not mapped as they are in conflict with
640-574: The authority of the governor and judges of the Indiana Territory to provide temporary civil jurisdiction over the expansive region. On March 3, 1805, Congress passed legislation changing the District of Louisiana into the Louisiana Territory, effective July 4, 1805. The Louisiana Territory included all of the land acquired by the United States in the Louisiana Purchase north of the 33rd parallel . The eastern boundary of
680-543: The country and formed the Confederate States of America . The American Civil War led to the defeat of the Confederacy in 1865 and the eventual readmission of the states to the United States Congress . The cultural endeavor and pursuit of manifest destiny provided a strong impetus for westward expansion in the 19th century. The United States began expanding beyond North America in 1856 with
720-682: The end of the Second Samoan Civil War . The United States purchased the U.S. Virgin Islands from Denmark in 1917. Puerto Rico and Guam remain territories, and the Philippines became independent in 1946, after being a major theater of World War II . Following the war, many islands were entrusted to the U.S. by the United Nations , and while the Northern Mariana Islands became a U.S. territory,
760-609: The first governor of the Territory of Louisiana. Wilkinson concurrently held the position of Senior Officer of the United States Army . Meriwether Lewis (1807–1809) served as the 2nd and William Clark (1813–1820) served as the 4th, and final, territorial governor. On June 4, 1812, the Twelfth U.S. Congress enacted legislation which renamed Louisiana Territory as Missouri Territory , in order to avoid confusion with
800-486: The jurisdiction of the Dakota Territory until its own government was organized on May 19, 1869. The act organizing Wyoming Territory became law on this date, but it is unclear if the territory could be considered "organized" until May 19, 1869, as the act specifies it was not to take effect until a government is organized; however, all sources use this date as the creation, and most use it for the organization, of
840-713: The last major acquisition in North America, was purchased from Russia in 1867. Support for the independence of Cuba from the Spanish Empire , and the sinking of the USS Maine , led to the Spanish–American War in 1898, in which the United States gained Puerto Rico , Guam , and the Philippines , and occupied Cuba for several years. American Samoa was acquired by the United States in 1900 after
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#1732758475574880-1032: The middle of the said channel and of Fuca Straits, to the Pacific Ocean". A small strip between the Texas Panhandle and Kansas Territory was unclaimed because it fell south of Kansas Territory's border but north of 36°30′ north , which had been established in the Missouri Compromise as the northern limit of slavery, and thus Texas could not have it. This became known as the Public Land Strip , or sometimes "No Man's Land". Atafu , Birnie Island , Butaritari , Caroline Island , Fanning Island , Flint Island , Gardner Island , Canton Island , Kingman Reef , Manihiki , Marakei , Nukunono , Palmyra Atoll , Penrhyn , Pukapuka , Rakahanga , Swains Island , Sydney Island , Vostok Island , and Washington Island were all claimed under
920-590: The only governmental authority in the listed areas, although they often co-existed with civil governments in scarcely populated states and territories. Civilian administered "military" tracts, districts, departments, etc., will be listed elsewhere. During the American Civil War, the Department of the Pacific had six subordinate military districts: The Department of California (1858–1861) comprised
960-482: The other Spanish claim involving the border of West Florida. The acquisition expanded the United States to the whole of the Mississippi River basin, but the extent of what constituted Louisiana in the south was disputed with Spain : the United States claimed the purchase included the part of West Florida west of the Perdido River , whereas Spain claimed it ended at the western border of West Florida; and
1000-485: The passage of the Guano Islands Act , causing many small and uninhabited, but economically important, islands in the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean to be claimed. Most of these claims were eventually abandoned, largely because of competing claims from other countries. The Pacific expansion culminated in the annexation of Hawaii in 1898, after the overthrow of its government five years previously. Alaska ,
1040-760: The purchase, the Mississippi River , functioned as the territory's eastern limit. Its northern and western boundaries, however, were indefinite, and remained so throughout its existence. The northern boundary with the British territory of Rupert's Land was established by the Treaty of 1818 , and the western boundary with the Spanish viceroyalty of New Spain was defined by the Adams–Onís Treaty of 1819. The Louisiana Territory had five subdivisions: St. Louis District, St. Charles District, Ste. Genevieve District, Cape Girardeau District, and New Madrid District. In 1806,
1080-589: The recently admitted State of Louisiana . The areas of the Louisiana Territory and Orleans Territory now cover several U.S. states , from the Gulf of Mexico to the border of Canada . U.S. states once part of Louisiana territory include: Canadian provinces once part of Louisiana territory include: Organized incorporated territory of the United States The territory of
1120-700: The region's economy or climate. Territorial evolution of the United States The United States of America was formed after thirteen British colonies in North America declared independence from the British Empire on July 4, 1776. In the Lee Resolution , passed by the Second Continental Congress two days prior, the colonies resolved that they were free and independent states. The union
1160-610: The southern part of the Department of the Pacific: California, Nevada, and southern part of Oregon Territory; merged into the Department of the Pacific as the District of California. The Department of Oregon (1858–1861) comprised the northern part of the Department of the Pacific: Washington Territory and Oregon Territory. These "territories" had actual, functioning governments (recognized or not): These are functioning governments created as
1200-595: The southwestern border with New Spain was disputed , as the United States claimed the Sabine River as the border, but Spain maintained it was the Calcasieu River and others. [REDACTED] The border between New York and Vermont on the one side, and the United Kingdom on the other, was clarified by the treaty. In 1816, construction began on an unnamed fort nicknamed " Fort Blunder " on
1240-402: The spirit of the charter, and its border with Virginia was only surveyed roughly halfway inland from the sea. Several northeastern states had overlapping claims: Connecticut, Massachusetts Bay, and New York all claimed land west of their accepted borders, overlapping with each other and with a sizable claim by Virginia. Of the three, only Connecticut seriously pursued its claims, while Virginia
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1280-797: The subject of much dispute until it and Spanish claims to the Oregon Country were ceded to the US in 1821. The Oregon Country gave the United States access to the Pacific Ocean , though it was shared for a time with the United Kingdom . The annexation of the Republic of Texas in 1845 led directly to the Mexican–American War , after which the victorious United States obtained the northern half of Mexico 's territory, including what
1320-509: The territorial legislature created the District of Arkansas from lands ceded by the Osage Nation . In the 1810 United States census , six counties in the Louisiana Territory, which included five counties in present-day Missouri and one county in present-day Arkansas , reported the following population counts: The territorial capital was St. Louis . On March 11, 1805, President Thomas Jefferson appointed Gen. James Wilkinson as
1360-454: The territory. A tiny portion of the Dakota Territory was erroneously left behind on the western side of Wyoming Territory. The North-Western Territory was transferred by the United Kingdom to Canada , thus transferring its portion of the Alaska boundary dispute . On this same date several islands, Cagayan de Sulu and Sibutu among them, were purchased from Spain and assigned to
1400-471: The time of admission, Vermont agreed to a monetary payment for New York to relinquish its claim); all of the other states were created from federal territories or from acquisitions. Four states ( Louisiana , Missouri , Nevada , and Pennsylvania ) have expanded substantially by acquiring additional federal territory after their initial admission to the Union . In 1912, Arizona was the last state established in
1440-533: The treaty was unclear in several areas: The Peace of Paris also involved treaties with France and Spain , with Great Britain ceding the Floridas to Spain . During their ownership of West Florida , the British had moved its border north, and the cession to Spain appeared to apply to the full extent of the British colony. However, the British-American treaty granted the extension of West Florida to
1480-612: Was formalized in the Articles of Confederation , which came into force on March 1, 1781, after being ratified by all 13 states. Their independence was recognized by Great Britain in the Treaty of Paris of 1783, which concluded the American Revolutionary War . This effectively doubled the size of the colonies, now able to stretch west past the Proclamation Line to the Mississippi River . This land
1520-483: Was moved to 33° west from Washington, gaining small portions of Utah Territory and Washington Territory . Nevada Territory was organized from Utah Territory west of 39° west from Washington . North Carolina proclaimed its secession from the Union, withdrawing from Congress. Caroline Island was claimed by the United Kingdom . Wyoming Territory was organized from portions of Dakota , Idaho , and Utah Territories. The territory would remain under
1560-400: Was organized into territories and then states, though there remained some conflict with the sea-to-sea grants claimed by some of the original colonies. In time, these grants were ceded to the federal government. The first great expansion of the country came with the Louisiana Purchase of 1803, which doubled the country's territory, although the southeastern border with Spanish Florida was
1600-409: Was quickly made the state of California . As the development of the country moved west, however, the question of slavery became more important, with vigorous debate over whether the new territories would allow slavery and events such as the Missouri Compromise and Bleeding Kansas . This came to a head in 1860 and 1861, when the governments of the southern states proclaimed their secession from
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