121-483: Vacationland may refer to: An official slogan for the state of Maine Vacationland (comedy show) , a 2015 stand-up comedy show by John Hodgman Vacationland (film) , a 2006 film by Todd Verow MV Vacationland , a ferry that crossed the Northumberland Strait between New Brunswick and PEI, Canada Vacationland (ferry) , a ferry that crossed
242-650: A family would. The age rank was based on the tribes proximity to the Caughnawaga Council, with the Penobscots being the closest. Before the massacre of the Norridgewock and the slow abandonment of their settlements and integration into their neighbor tribes, they were once seen as an older brother to the Penobscot. This system was not seen as something indicating superiority per se, but rather
363-455: A formal "grandchief" or single leader of the whole confederacy, and thus never had a single seat of government . Though Madockawando was treated as such in the Treaty of Casco, and his descendants such as Wabanaki Lieutenant-Governor John Neptune would maintain an elevated status in the confederacy, both officially had the same amount of power as any other sakom. This would continue throughout
484-462: A great fence; and in addition they put in the center a great wigwam within the fence; and also they made a whip and placed it with their father. Then whoever disobeyed him would be whipped. Whichever of his children was within the fence - all of them had to obey him. And he always had to kindle their great fire, so that it would not burn out. This is where the Wampum Laws originated. That fence was
605-594: A positive encounter on Pemetic, meeting with sakom (title for community leaders) Asticou in his and his peoples' summer village. Asticou was a sakom with regional power over the eastern door of Mawooshen. He was subsidiary to sakom Bashaba, who led the entire Mawooshen Confederacy. Champlain went upriver to the Passamaquoddy, where he established another post at present-day Saint Croix Island, Maine . The French colonial region known as Acadia developed on existing tribal territory. The ethnic French of Acadia and
726-565: A quarter of the population of Lewiston, Waterville , and Biddeford are Franco-American. Most of the residents of the Mid Coast and Down East sections are chiefly of British heritage. Smaller numbers of various other groups, including Irish , Italian , Swedish and Polish , have settled throughout the state since the late 19th and early 20th century immigration waves. Today there are four federally recognized tribes in Maine, including
847-449: A sakom died, newly elected sakoms would be confirmed by allied Wabanaki tribes who would visit following a year of mourning in the village. An event to appoint a new sakom, known as a Nská'wehadin or "assembly", could last several weeks. Tribes had a lot of autonomy, but they built a culture which normalized being involved in each other's political affairs to help maintain unity and cooperation. This event would continue until 1861 when
968-458: A sakom was part of also had a "kinship" status, being that they are brothers some members were older and younger. The lack of a single centralized capital complemented the Wabanaki government style, as sakoms were able to shift their political influence to any part of the nation that needed it. This could mean bringing leadership near or away from conflict zones. When a formal internal agreement
1089-543: A separate state. On March 15, 1820, under the Missouri Compromise , Maine was admitted to the Union as the 23rd state. Today, Maine is known for its jagged, rocky Atlantic Ocean and bay-shore coastlines, mountains, heavily forested interior, and its cuisine, particularly wild lowbush blueberries and seafood such as lobster and clams . Coastal and Down East Maine have emerged as important centers for
1210-573: A significant role as a political hub—for the future Wabanaki Confederacy, for example. In 1500, Portuguese explorer Gaspar Corte-Real reached Wabanaki lands. He captured and enslaved at least 57 people from modern-day Newfoundland and Nova Scotia , selling them in Europe to help finance his trip. The rich fishing waters full of cod in and around the Gulf of Saint Lawrence attracted many Europeans to this area. By 1504 French Bretons were fishing off
1331-519: A single shot, after which one of his men killed the third. The Iroquois turned and fled. This action set the tone for poor French-Iroquois relations for the rest of the century, with conflicts arising over territory and the beaver trade. The next year the Battle of Sorel started on 19 June 1610. Champlain had convinced some tribes to fight in the war, amongst them was Wendat , Algonquin and Innu peoples, with some French regulars. They fought against
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#17327833834291452-416: A successful guerrilla war for the following two decades, never being caught, and successfully deterring settlers entering his lands. Kinship metaphors like "Brother", "Father", or "Uncle" in their original linguistic context were much more complex than when they were when translated into English or French. Such terms were used to understand the status and role of a diplomatic relationship. For instance, for
1573-558: A way to perceive a relationship in a manner that reflected the cultural norms of the Wabanaki. When the Wabanaki called the French Canadian governor and King of France "our father", it was a relationship built upon a sense of respect and protective care that reflected a Wabanaki father-son relationship. This was not well understood by diplomats from France and England who did not live with the peoples, seeing such terms as acknowledgment of subservience. Miscommunication over these terms
1694-700: Is a state in the New England region of the United States , and the northeastern most state in the Lower 48 . It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and northwest, and shares a maritime border with Nova Scotia . Maine is the largest state in New England by total area, nearly larger than
1815-547: Is evident with migratory birds like piping plovers , American oystercatcher , and northern harrier , as well as resident species like black-capped chickadees , blue jays , and barred owls . Wetlands provide habitat for amphibians such as spotted salamanders , wood frogs , and toads. Freshwater habitats support fish species like brook trout , landlocked salmon , and multiple gamefish , while marine life in offshore waters includes Atlantic puffins , harbor seals , minke whales , and lobster . Maine's abundance of lobster makes
1936-533: Is forested or unclaimed, the most forest cover of any U.S. state . In the wooded areas of the interior lies much uninhabited land, some of which does not have formal political organization into local units (a rarity in New England). The Northwest Aroostook unorganized territory in the northern part of the state, for example, has an area of 2,668 square miles (6,910 km ) and a population of 10, or one person for every 267 square miles (690 km ). Maine
2057-667: Is in the temperate broadleaf and mixed forests biome . The land near the southern and central Atlantic coast is covered by the mixed oaks of the Northeastern coastal forests . The remainder of the state, including the North Woods , is covered by the New England–Acadian forests . Maine has almost 230 miles (400 km) of ocean coastline (and 3,500 miles (5,600 km) of tidal coastline). West Quoddy Head in Lubec
2178-467: Is now Odanak . The other Abenaki tribes suffered several severe defeats, particularly during Dummer's War , with the capture of Norridgewock in 1724 and the defeat of the Pequawket in 1725, which significantly reduced their numbers. They finally withdrew to Canada , where they were settled at Bécancour and Sillery , and later at St. Francis, along with other refugee tribes from the south. Maine
2299-531: Is part of a cultural region known as Acadia that goes over the border into New Brunswick . Along with the Acadian population in the north, many French-Canadians came from Quebec as immigrants between 1840 and 1930. The upper Saint John River valley area was once part of the so-called Republic of Madawaska , before the frontier was decided in the Webster-Ashburton Treaty of 1842. Over
2420-542: Is remembered as "Wabanaki" , which shares a common etymological origin with the name of the "Abenaki" people. All Abenaki are Wabanaki, but not all Wabanaki are Abenaki. The name of the political union during the time it existed had gone by other names both shared and unique to its members. The Mi'kmaq, Passamaquoddy, and Wolastoqey called it Buduswagan which translates into "convention council." The Passamaquoddy also had their own unique name being Tolakutinaya which translates into "be related to one another." Finally,
2541-537: Is the easternmost point of land in the 48 contiguous states. Along the famous rock-bound coast of Maine are lighthouses, beaches, fishing villages, and thousands of offshore islands, including the Isles of Shoals which straddle the New Hampshire border. There are jagged rocks and cliffs and many bays and inlets. Inland are lakes, rivers, forests, and mountains. This visual contrast of forested slopes sweeping down to
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#17327833834292662-479: Is the most densely populated with nearly 40% of Maine's population. This area spans three counties and includes many farms and wooded areas; the 2016 population of Portland proper was 66,937. Maine has experienced a very slow rate of population growth since the 1990 census; its rate of growth (0.57%) since the 2010 census ranks 45th of the 50 states. In 2021 and 2022, however, Maine had the highest proportion of arriving residents to departing residents of any state in
2783-404: Is to the north and northeast, and the province of Quebec is to the northwest. Maine is the northernmost and largest state in New England, accounting for almost half of the region's entire land area. Maine is the only state to border exactly one other American state. Approximately half the area of Maine lies on each side of the 45th parallel north in latitude . Maine is the easternmost state in
2904-603: The Abenaki of St. Francis , Mi'kmaq , Wolastoqiyik , Passamaquoddy ( Peskotomahkati ) and Penobscot . There were more tribes, along with many bands, that were once part of the Confederation. Native tribes such as the Norridgewock , Alemousiski, Pennacook, Sokoki, and Canibas , through massacres, tribal consolidation, and ethnic label shifting were absorbed into the five larger national identities. Members of
3025-543: The Confederate Army during the Battle of Gettysburg . Four U.S. Navy ships have been named USS Maine , most famously the armored cruiser USS Maine (ACR-1) , whose sinking by an explosion on February 15, 1898, precipitated the Spanish–American War . To the south and east is the Gulf of Maine , and to the west is the state of New Hampshire . The Canadian province of New Brunswick
3146-546: The Contiguous United States both in its extreme points and its geographic center. The town of Lubec is the easternmost organized settlement in the United States. Its Quoddy Head Lighthouse is also the closest place in the United States to Africa and Europe. Estcourt Station is Maine's northernmost point, as well as the northernmost point in New England. (For more information see extreme points of
3267-493: The Eastern white pine . Coastal regions are characterized by hardy sea milkwort , sea-blight , bayberry , and the invasive rugosa rose . Maine's terrestrial fauna comprises mammals such as moose , black bears , and white-tailed deer , along with smaller species like red squirrels , snowshoe hares , and raccoons . Maine has the largest populations of moose and black bears in the contiguous United States. Avian diversity
3388-712: The Gaspé Bay . These are now believed to have been independent of the Five Nations of Iroquois that developed the Iroquois League further south. By the early 1600s, the St. Lawrence Iroquoian villages were abandoned. Historians now believe they may have been defeated by the Mohawk in competition over hunting. They may also have been defeated by Algonquins from further east in the St. Lawrence Valley. Cartier traded with
3509-555: The Great Lakes and Saint Lawrence River region. By the 1660s, tribes of Western Abenaki peoples as far south as Massachusetts had joined the league. This defensive alliance would not only prove to be successful, but it helped repair the relationship among the Eastern Algonquians, promoting greater political cooperation in the coming decades. This growing tension with two large and organized political adversaries,
3630-798: The Kennebec River and St. Croix River notionally became Cornwall County, Province of New York under a 1664 grant from Charles II of England to his brother James , at the time the Duke of York . Some of this land was claimed by New France as part of Acadia . All of the English settlements in the Massachusetts Bay Colony and the Province of New York became part of the Dominion of New England in 1686. All of present-day Maine
3751-525: The Mi'kmaq Nation . In 2020, 7,885 identified as being Native American alone, and 25,617 did in combination with one or more other races. Wabanaki Confederacy The Wabanaki Confederacy ( Wabenaki, Wobanaki , translated to "People of the Dawn" or "Easterner"; also: Wabanakia , "Dawnland" ) is a North American First Nations and Native American confederation of five principal Eastern Algonquian nations:
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3872-546: The Mohawk people at present-day Sorel-Tracy , Quebec . Champlain's forces were armed with the arquebus . After engaging their opponent, they slaughtered or captured nearly all of the Mohawk. The battle ended major hostilities with the Mohawk for twenty years. In and around this time, more French arrived as traders in Nova Scotia. The French migrants formed settlements such as Port-Royal . At many of these settlements,
3993-545: The Plymouth Company in 1607. A number of English settlements were established along the coast of Maine in the 1620s, although the rugged climate and conflict with the local Indigenous people caused many to fail. As Maine entered the 18th century, only a half dozen European settlements had survived. Loyalist and Patriot forces contended for Maine's territory during the American Revolution . During
4114-624: The Province of Maine in a 1622 land patent. The part of western Maine north of the Kennebec River was more sparsely settled and was known in the 17th century as the Territory of Sagadahock . A second settlement was attempted in 1623 by English explorer and naval Captain Christopher Levett at a place called York , where he had been granted 6,000 acres (24 km ) by King Charles I of England. It also failed. The 1622 patent of
4235-658: The St. Lawrence River , Anticosti , and Newfoundland in Canada. The word Wabanaki is derived from the Algonquian root word "wab" , combined with the word for "land", being "aki" . "Wab" is a root that is used for the following concepts: Waban-aki can be translated into a number of ways but is most often translated into "Dawnland". The political union of the Wabanaki Confederacy was known by many names, but it
4356-537: The Treaty of Casco , which forced all the tribes to recognize the property rights of English colonists in southern Maine. In return, English colonists recognized "Wabanaki" sovereignty by committing themselves to pay Madockawando , as a "grandchief" of the Wabanaki alliance, a symbolic annual fee of "a peck of corn for every English Family." They also recognized the Saco River as the border. The Caughnawaga Council
4477-617: The Wabanaki Confederacy , aiding the Wampanoag of Massachusetts and the Mahican of New York . Afterwards, many of these people were driven from their natural territories, but most of Maine's tribes continued, unchanged, until the American Revolution . Before this point, however, most of these people were considered separate nations. Many had adapted to living in permanent, Iroquois -inspired settlements, while those along
4598-635: The War of 1812 , the largely undefended eastern region of Maine was occupied by British forces with the goal of annexing it to Canada via the Colony of New Ireland , but returned to the United States following failed British offensives on the northern border, mid-Atlantic and south which produced a peace treaty that restored the pre-war boundaries. Maine was part of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts until 1820 when it voted to secede from Massachusetts to become
4719-510: The creative economy , especially in the vicinity of Portland , which has also brought gentrification to the city and its metropolitan area. The earliest known inhabitants of the territory that is now Maine were Algonquian-speaking Wabanaki peoples, including the Passamaquoddy , Maliseet , Penobscot , Androscoggin , and Kennebec. During the later King Philip's War , many of these peoples would merge in one form or another to become
4840-533: The Alemousiski would soon come into permanent contact with English settlers moving into Massachusetts , as well as their lands in southern Maine under the colonizing efforts of people directed by Ferdinando Gorges and John Mason, respectively. Pannaway Plantation near modern-day Kittery, Maine would both be founded in 1623. Originally founded as fishing and lumber villages, over the decades they developed larger economies and became major population centers in
4961-659: The American Revolution and the War of 1812, with the British occupying eastern Maine in both conflicts via the Colony of New Ireland . The territory of Maine was confirmed as part of Massachusetts when the United States was formed following the Treaty of Paris ending the revolution, although the final border with British North America was not established until the Webster–Ashburton Treaty of 1842. Maine
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5082-465: The Confederacy, often being older men who were called nebáulinowak or "riddle men." "They have reproached me a hundred times because we fear our Captains, while they laugh at and make sport of theirs. All the authority of their chief is in his tongue's end; for he is powerful in so far as he is eloquent; and even if he kills himself talking and haranguing he will not be obeyed unless he please
5203-577: The French fur trading site of Tadoussac in 1599. During one of his trips back in 1603 he would bring Samuel de Champlain with him, and he would lead to a new era of Wabanaki/French relationships. When Champlain established contact during an expedition to the Mawooshen in Pesamkuk (present-day Mount Desert Island , Maine) in 1604, he noted that the people had quite a few European goods. Champlain had
5324-563: The French traded weapons and other European goods to the local Mi'kmaq . The influx of European goods changed the social and economic landscape, as local tribes became more dependent on European goods. This new economic reality harmed their existing kinship ties among clans and reduced the reciprocal exchange that had supported the local economy . Subsistence hunting shifted into a competition for animals like beaver and for access to European settlements. Population movements, and intraband and interband disputes were affected. Allied with
5445-467: The Haudenosaunee. In the Wabanaki context, such terms indicated concepts like the Penobscot looking out for the well-being of the younger brothers, while younger brothers would support and respect the wisdom of an older brother. The idea of being related helped establish unity and cooperation in Wabanaki culture, using family as a metaphor to overcome factionalism and to quell internal conflicts like
5566-527: The Iroquois and especially English colonists, over the next 20 years would lead to an Algonquian uprising during King Philip's War (1675-1676), followed by the First Abenaki War (1675-1678). Soon after the many Algonquian tribes fought together in an effort to strengthen both defensive and diplomatic power, a push to make a formal political union would take place leading to the development of
5687-626: The Mi'kmaq, and returned to France with furs of North American animals such as beaver, which became high-demand items. Cartier brought back numerous goods from the First Nations from his three trips to the St. Lawrence, but the furs had the greatest demand. French colonists went to the area to work in what became the North American fur trade . More Europeans entered Wabanaki lands over the coming decades, where they started as traders to meet
5808-542: The Miꞌkmaq in the Wabanaki Confederacy. In 1715 the Miꞌkmaq attacked fishing vessels off Sable Island . The Miꞌkmaq declared "the Lands are [ours] and [we] can make War and peace when [we] please". The Wabanaki Confederacy did not fight under the leadership of a commander, but nevertheless implemented a strategy that was aimed to clear their land of intruders. Between 1722 and 1724 the Penobscot attacked Fort St. George four times,
5929-591: The Penobscot would interchangeably call it either Bezegowak or Gizangowak which can be translated into "those united into one" and "completely united" respectively. Small-scale confederacies in and around what would become the Wabanaki Confederacy were common at the time of post- Viking European contact. The earliest known confederacy was the Mawooshen Confederacy located within the historic Eastern Penobscot cultural region. Its capital, Kadesquit , located around modern Bangor, Maine , would play
6050-672: The Portuguese side of the Inter caetera , entitling them to the land. Portuguese explorer João Álvares Fagundes attempted to establish the first European colony in Wabanaki lands in 1525. He brought families totaling almost 200 people, mostly from the Azores , and founded a fishing settlement in Cape Breton, within Mi'kmaq territory. The settlement lasted at least until 1570, as fishing ships brought news of them back to Europe. The fate of
6171-585: The Province of Maine was split at the Piscataqua River into the Province of New Hampshire to the south and New Somersetshire to the north. A disputed 1630 patent split off the area around present-day Saco as Lygonia . Justifying its actions with a 1652 geographic survey that showed an overlapping patent, the Massachusetts Bay Colony had seized New Somersetshire and Lygonia by force by 1658. The Territory of Sagadahock between
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#17327833834296292-539: The Straits of Mackinac in Michigan Vacationland (Ohio) , colloquial name for an area of North-east and North-central Ohio Vacationland Hawaii , a former coastal subdivision on the island of Hawai'i Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Vacationland . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change
6413-415: The United States ) Maine's Moosehead Lake is the largest lake wholly in New England, since Lake Champlain is located between Vermont , New York , and Quebec . A number of other Maine lakes, such as South Twin Lake , are described by Thoreau in The Maine Woods (1864). Mount Katahdin is the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail , which extends southerly to Springer Mountain , Georgia , and
6534-452: The United States. According to the 2010 census , Maine has the highest percentage of non-Hispanic White of any state, at 94.4% of the total population. In 2011, 89.0% of all births in the state were to non-Hispanic White parents. Maine also has the second-highest residential senior population. According to HUD 's 2022 Annual Homeless Assessment Report , there were an estimated 4,411 homeless people in Maine. The table below shows
6655-539: The Wabanaki Confederacy stretches from Newfoundland, Canada , to Massachusetts, United States . Members of the Wabanaki Confederacy participated in these seven major wars: During this period, their population was radically decimated due to many decades of warfare , but also because of famines and devastating epidemics of infectious disease . The number of European settlers increased from about 300 in 1650 to about 6,650 in 1750. European diseases such as smallpox and measles were introduced. The Mi'kmaq were among
6776-415: The Wabanaki Confederacy, the Wabanaki , are located in and named for the area which they call Wabanakik ("Dawnland"), roughly the area that became the French colony of Acadia . The territory boundaries encompass present-day Maine , New Hampshire , and Vermont , in the United States, and New Brunswick , mainland Nova Scotia , Cape Breton Island , Prince Edward Island and some of Quebec south of
6897-442: The Wabanaki Confederacy. The First Abenaki War saw native peoples throughout the Eastern Algonquian lands face a common and powerful enemy, encroaching English colonists. The fighting led to large-scale depopulation of English colonial settlements north of the Saco River in the district of Maine , while Wabanaki people south of the river like the Armouchiquois, would be forced from their ancestral lands. The political situation
7018-400: The Wabanaki ever saw themselves as subservient to the Ottawa in any way, this was the same with the French. The Ottawa were largely seen as a form of third party political oversight. Members of the Wabanaki Confederacy were the: Nations in the Confederacy also allied with the Innu of Nitassinan , the Algonquin people and with the Iroquoian -speaking Wyandot people . The homeland of
7139-431: The Wabanakis attacked British colonial settlements along Kennebec River , while western Maine was attacked by the Pigwacket and the Ammoscocongon. The Wabanaki Confederacy destroyed the Brunswick settlement as well as other British colonial settlements on the banks of the Androscoggin River . Prior to the Expulsion of the Acadians (1755–1764), the Acadians living in Nova Scotia largely refused to swear allegiance to
7260-490: The Wolastoquiyik (Maleseet) and Passamaquoddy, the Mi'kmaq fought with their Western Mawooshen (Western Abenaki/Penobscot) neighbors for goods as trading relations broke down. This power imbalance resulted in war starting around 1607. In 1615 the Mi'kmaq and their allies killed the Mawooshen Grand Chief Bashabas in his village. War was costly for the Mi'kmaq and their allies, but especially for their southern Abenaki/Penobscot adversaries. Many Abenaki villages faced great losses from
7381-407: The [Indians]." Wabanaki sakoms held regular conventions at their various "council fires" (seats of government) whenever there was a need to call each other together. In a council fire, they would sit in a large rectangle with all members facing each other. Each sakom member would have a chance to speak and be listened to, with the understanding that they would do the same for the others. Each tribe
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#17327833834297502-430: The area near Ticonderoga and Crown Point, New York (historians dispute the site), Champlain and his party encountered a group of Iroquois (likely mostly Mohawk , the easternmost nation). In a battle that began the next day, 250 Iroquois advanced on Champlain's position, and one of his guides pointed out the three chiefs. In his account of the battle, Champlain recounts firing his arquebus and killing two of them with
7623-545: The coast of Nova Scotia. Norman fishermen began to arrive around 1507, and they too would start kidnapping people from the surrounding land. This would hurt relations with some tribes. But the fishermen also started slowly introducing European trade goods to the Wabanaki, returning to Europe with North American trade goods. After the establishment of the Treaty of Tordesillas by which Catholic Europe established spheres of influence for exploration, Portuguese explorers commonly believed that Newfoundland and Wabanaki lands were on
7744-406: The coast tended to move from summer villages to winter villages on a yearly cycle. They would usually winter inland and head to the coasts by summer. European contact with what is now called Maine may have started around 1200 CE when Vikings are believed to have interacted with the native Penobscot in present-day Hancock County , most likely through trade. If confirmed, this would make Maine
7865-430: The combined area of the remaining five states. Of the 50 U.S. states , it is the 12th-smallest by area , the 9th-least populous , the 13th-least densely populated , and the most rural. Maine's capital is Augusta , and its most populous city is Portland , with a total population of 68,408, as of the 2020 census . The territory of Maine has been inhabited by Indigenous populations for about 12,000 years, after
7986-430: The confederacy agreement....There would be no arguing with one another again. They had to live like brothers and sisters who had the same parent....And their parent, he was the great chief at Caughnawaga. And the fence and the whip were the Wampum Laws. Whoever disobeyed them, the tribes together had to watch him. The Wabanaki Confederacy were governed by a council of elected sakoms, tribal leaders who were frequently also
8107-417: The confederacy. Wampum belts called gelusewa'ngan , meaning "speech", played an important role in maintaining Wabanaki political institutions. One of the last keepers of the "Wampum Record" and one of the last Wabanaki/Passamaquoddy delegates to go to Caughnawaga was Sepiel Selmo. Keepers of the wampum record were called putuwosuwin which involved a mix of oral history with understanding the context behind
8228-412: The country, with 1.8 arrivals for every departure. The modest population growth in the state has been concentrated in the southern coastal counties; with more diverse populations slowly moving into these areas of the state. However, the northern, more rural areas of the state have experienced a slight decline in population from 2010 to 2016. As of 2020, Maine has the highest population age 65 or older in
8349-410: The disputed areas containing land. Also in this easternmost area in the Bay of Fundy is the Old Sow , the largest tidal whirlpool in the Western Hemisphere . Maine is the least densely populated state east of the Mississippi River . It is called the Pine Tree State due to its largest distribution and presence of pine , including Pinus strobus and Pinus resinosa . Over 80% of its total area
8470-505: The early 1700s to Kahnewake , a Catholic Mohawk village near Montreal , where some were adopted and others ransomed. After the British defeated the French in Acadia in the 1740s, the territory from the Penobscot River east fell under the nominal authority of the Province of Nova Scotia , and together with present-day New Brunswick formed the Nova Scotia county of Sunbury , with its court of general sessions at Campobello. American and British forces contended for Maine's territory during
8591-481: The entire history of the Wabanaki, as the confederacy remained decentralized so as to never give more power to any of the member tribes. This meant that all major decisions had to be thoroughly debated by sakoms at council fires, which created a strong political culture empowering the best debaters. The four/fourteen tribes were not completely independent from each other. Not only was it possible for sanctions to be placed on each other for creating problems, but also when
8712-526: The entire length of the sound. These features also have made it attractive for boat builders, such as the prestigious Hinckley Yachts . Bubble Rock, a glacial erratic , is a large boulder perched on the edge of Bubble Mountain in Acadia National Park . By analyzing the type of granite, geologists discovered that glaciers carried Bubble Rock to its present location from near Lucerne , 30 miles (48 km) away. The Iapetus Suture runs through
8833-603: The event that took place at the Caughnawaga Council that led to the formation of the Wabanaki Confederacy. Silently they sat for seven days. Everyday, no one spoke. That was called, "The Wigwam is Silent." Every councilor had to think about what he was going to say when they made the laws. All of them thought about how the fighting could be stopped. Next they opened up the wigwam. It was now called "Every One of Them Talks." And during that time they began their council....When all had finished talking, they decided to make
8954-401: The first tribes to establish trade with European settlers and helped to establish a barter system along the coast. Settlers and natives communicated in a language that mixed French and Mikmawisimk . The Miꞌkmaq traded beaver , otter , marten , seal , moose , and deer furs with European settlers. The French missionary Chrestien Le Clercq complained that "they ridicule and laugh at
9075-540: The fledgling economy. By the 1640s, internal conflicts within the region started to make Iroquois advances harder to combat for what would become the Wabanaki peoples, but also the Algonquian (tribe west of Quebec City), the Innu , and French to manage separately. Aided by French Jesuits , this led to the formation of a large Algonquian league against the Iroquois, who were making significant territorial land gains around
9196-653: The following year, keeping a balance between slave and free states. Maine's original state capital was Portland, Maine's largest city, until it was moved to the more central Augusta in 1832. The principal office of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court remains in Portland. The 20th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment , under the command of Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain , prevented the Union Army from being flanked at Little Round Top by
9317-696: The founding of a Jesuit mission in 1613 in the present-day location on Somes Sound , Maine. The following year the mission village was destroyed by Captain Samuel Argall during a resupply visit to nearby English fishing outposts. French and English colonists would long compete for territory in North America. In the same year, Captain Thomas Hunt kidnapped 27 people from present-day Massachusetts to sell as slaves in Spain. The famous Tisquantum
9438-417: The glaciers retreated during the last ice age . At the time of European arrival, several Algonquian -speaking nations governed the area and these nations are now known as the Wabanaki Confederacy . The first European settlement in the area was by the French in 1604 on Saint Croix Island , founded by Pierre Dugua, Sieur de Mons . The first English settlement was the short-lived Popham Colony , established by
9559-429: The governors of the drainage basin their village was built on. Sakoms themselves were more of respected listeners and debaters than simply rulers. Wabanaki politics was fundamentally rooted on reaching a consensus on issues, often after much debate. Sakoms frequently used stylized metaphorical speech at council fires, trying to win over others sakoms. Sakoms who were skilled at debate often became quite influential in
9680-443: The growing fur demand in Europe. The French established permanent trading operations with the Wabanaki around 1581 to obtain furs. Henry III of France granted a fur monopoly to French merchants in 1588. This would lead to the desire for the French to establish permanent trade posts in and around Wabanaki lands for furs. French fur traders like François Gravé Du Pont would often travel to Wabanaki lands to obtain furs, establishing
9801-554: The last Nská'wehadin was held in Old Town, Maine , shortly before the end of the confederacy. Occasionally some sakoms were known to ignore the will of the confederacy, most often the case for tribes on the border of European powers who had the most to lose during peace after war. Gray Lock , who was among the most successful wartime Wabanaki sakoms, refused to make peace after the 1722-1726 Dummer's War , given that his Vermont lands were being settled by English colonists. He would hold
9922-542: The late spring and summer months are usually driest—a rarity across the Eastern United States. Maine has fewer days of thunderstorms than any other state east of the Rockies , with most of the state averaging fewer than twenty days of thunderstorms a year. Tornadoes are rare in Maine, with the state averaging two per year, although this number is increasing. Most severe thunderstorms and tornadoes occur in
10043-412: The link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Vacationland&oldid=844932137 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Maine Maine ( / m eɪ n / MAYN )
10164-597: The melting of heavy glacier ice caused a slight rebounding effect of underlying rock; this land rise, however, was not enough to eliminate all the effect of the rising sea level and its invasion of former land features. Much of Maine's geomorphology was created by extended glacial activity at the end of the last ice age . Prominent glacial features include Somes Sound and Bubble Rock, both part of Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island. Carved by glaciers, Somes Sound reaches depths of 175 feet (50 m). The extreme depth and steep drop-off allow large ships to navigate almost
10285-487: The most relevant evidence being the Maine Penny , an 11th-century Norwegian coin found at a Native American dig site in 1954. The first European confirmed settlement in modern-day Maine was in 1604 on Saint Croix Island , led by French explorer Pierre Dugua, Sieur de Mons . His party included Samuel de Champlain , noted as an explorer. The French named the entire area Acadia , including the portion that later became
10406-583: The most sumptuous and magnificent of our buildings". In 1711 the Acadians joined the Wabanaki Confederacy, when Fort Anne was besieged. The British proceeded to raid the coastal settlements, demanding an oath of allegiance from the Acadians. When British settlers encroached on the territory of the Abenaki , Penobscot , and the Passamaquoddy , these First Nations joined the Wolastoqiyik and
10527-671: The north and west of the state, being underlain by the ancient Laurentian terrane , and the south and east underlain by the Avalonian terrane . Acadia National Park is the only national park in New England. Areas under the protection and management of the National Park Service include: Lands under the control of the state of Maine include: Maine has a humid continental climate ( Köppen climate classification Dfb ), with warm and sometimes humid summers, and long, cold and very snowy winters. Winters are especially severe in
10648-541: The northern and western parts of Maine, while coastal areas are moderated slightly by the Atlantic Ocean , resulting in marginally milder winters and cooler summers than inland regions. Daytime highs are generally in the 75–85 °F (24–29 °C) range throughout the state in July, with overnight lows in the high 50s °F (around 15 °C). January temperatures range from highs near 30 °F (−1 °C) on
10769-406: The other tribes in the Wabanaki the Penobscot were called the ksés'i'zena or "our elder brother". The Passamaquoddy, Wolastoqiyik, and Mi'kmaq in this order of "age" were called ndo'kani'mi'zena or "our younger brother". The Wolastoqiyik referred to the Penobscot and Passamaquoddy as ksés'i'zena and the Mi'kmaq as ndo'kani'mi'zena . Concepts like this were also found in other confederacies like
10890-470: The other's villages along with organizing inter-tribal marriages, and a large-scale defensive alliance to fend off attacks in their now shared territory. Madockawando for instance would later move from Penobscot lands to Wolastoqey lands, living in their political hub of Meductic until his death. These events would lead to the formal creation of what is now called the Wabanaki Confederacy. The Passamaquoddy wampum record or Wapapi Akonutomakonol tells about
11011-509: The peoples of Wabanaki coexisted in the same territory with independent, yet allied governments. Champlain continued to establish settlements throughout Wabanaki territory, including Saint John (1604) and Quebec City (1608), among others. The trade and military relations between the French and the local Algonquin tribes, including the Mawooshen and later Wabanaki, lasted until the end of the French and Indian/Seven Years' War . Asticou approved
11132-401: The placement of wampum on the belts. Wampum shells arranged on strings in such a manner, that certain combinations suggested certain sentences or certain ideas to the narrator, who, of course, knew his record by heart and was merely aided by the association of the shell combinations in his mind with incidents of the tale or record which he was rendering. What was not recorded through wampum
11253-562: The racial composition of Maine's population as of 2016. According to the 2016 American Community Survey , 1.5% of Maine's population were of Hispanic or Latino origin (of any race): Mexican (0.4%), Puerto Rican (0.4%), Cuban (0.1%), and other Hispanic or Latino origin (0.6%). The six largest ancestry groups were: English (20.7%), Irish (17.3%), French (15.7%), German (8.1%), American (7.8%) and French Canadian (7.7%). People citing that they are American are of overwhelmingly English descent, but have ancestry that has been in
11374-557: The region for so long (often since the 17th century) that they choose to identify simply as Americans. Maine has the highest percentage of French Americans of any state. Most of them are of Canadian origin, but in some cases have been living there since prior to the American Revolutionary War . There are particularly high concentrations in the northern part of Maine in Aroostook County , which
11495-432: The role of wampum council conduct being a major example. This political unit allowed for the safe passage of people through each of their territories (including camping and subsisting on the land), safer trade networks from the western agricultural centers to the eastern gathering economies (copper/pelts) through non-aggression pacts and sharing natural resources from their respected habitats, freedom to move to each and any of
11616-484: The sea has been summed up by American poet Edna St. Vincent Millay of Rockland and Camden , in "Renascence": All I could see from where I stood Was three long mountains and a wood; I turned and looked the other way, And saw three islands in a bay. Geologists describe this type of landscape as a "drowned coast", where a rising sea level has invaded former land features, creating bays out of valleys and islands out of mountain tops. A rise in land elevation due to
11737-490: The settlement is unknown, but the people would have interacted with the local Mi'kmaq. Throughout the 1500s, Wabanaki people encountered many European fishermen along with explorers looking for the Northwest Passage. They were at risk of being captured and enslaved. For instance, Portuguese explorer Estevan Gomez reached Wabanaki lands in 1525, kidnapping a few dozen people and taking them back to Spain, where he
11858-636: The short-lived Popham Colony (1607–1608), who hoped to establish good relations with the local peoples by returning Tahánedo, but local tribes were uneasy about the English colony. In 2020 journalist Avery Yale Kamila wrote that the account of the Weymouth voyage has culinary significance because it "is the first time a European recorded the Native American use of nut milks and nut butters." Champlain forged strong French relations with Algonquin tribes up until his death in 1635. Somewhere in
11979-613: The site of the earliest European discovery in the entire US. About 200 years earlier, from the settlements in Iceland and Greenland , the Norse first identified America and attempted to settle areas such as Newfoundland , but failed to establish a permanent settlement. Archeological evidence suggests that Vikings in Greenland returned to North America for several centuries after the initial discovery to trade and collect timber, with
12100-469: The southern coast to overnight lows averaging below 0 °F (−18 °C) in the far north. The state's record high temperature is 105 °F (41 °C), set in July 1911, at North Bridgton. Precipitation in Maine is evenly distributed year-round, but with a slight summer maximum in northern/northwestern Maine and a slight late-fall or early-winter maximum along the coast due to " nor'easters " or intense cold-season rain and snowstorms. In coastal Maine,
12221-404: The southern terminus of the new International Appalachian Trail which, when complete, will run to Belle Isle , Newfoundland and Labrador . Machias Seal Island and North Rock , off the state's Downeast coast, are claimed by both Canada and the Maine town of Cutler , and are within one of four areas between the two countries whose sovereignty is still in dispute , but it is the only one of
12342-403: The southwestern interior portion of the state, where summer temperatures are often the warmest and the atmosphere is thus more unstable compared to northern and coastal areas. Maine rarely sees the direct landfall of tropical cyclones , as they tend to recurve out to sea or are rapidly weakening by the time they reach the cooler waters of Maine. In January 2009, a new record low temperature for
12463-632: The state of Maine. The Plymouth Company established the first English settlement in Maine at the Popham Colony in 1607, the same year as the settlement at Jamestown, Virginia . The Popham colonists returned to Britain after 14 months. The French established two Jesuit missions: one on Penobscot Bay in 1609, and the other on Mount Desert Island in 1613. The same year, Claude de La Tour established Castine . In 1625, Charles de Saint-Étienne de la Tour erected Fort Pentagouet to protect Castine. The coastal areas of eastern Maine first became
12584-505: The state the largest producer of lobster in the United States. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that the population of Maine was 1,344,212 on July 1, 2019, a 1.19% increase since the 2010 United States census . At the 2020 census , 1,362,359 people lived in the state. The state's population density is 41.3 people per square mile, making it the least densely populated state east of the Mississippi River . As of 2010, Maine
12705-620: The state was set at Big Black River of −50 °F (−46 °C), tying the New England record. Annual precipitation varies from 35.8 in (909 mm) in Presque Isle to 56.7 in (1,441 mm) in Acadia National Park. Maine exhibits a diverse range of flora and fauna across its varied landscapes, including forests, coastline, and wetlands. Forested areas consist primarily of coniferous and deciduous trees, such as balsam fir , sugar maple , and its state tree,
12826-436: The war and refused to defend Maine from British invaders. In 1819, Massachusetts agreed to permit secession, sanctioned by voters of the rapidly growing region the following year. Formal secession from Massachusetts and admission of Maine as the 23rd state occurred on March 15, 1820, as part of the Missouri Compromise , which geographically restricted the spread of slavery and enabled the admission to statehood of Missouri
12947-496: The war. The war was then followed by a pandemic known as "The Great Dying" (1616-1619), which killed around 70-95% of the local Algonquin population left after the war. Not long after this widespread local depopulation, Pilgrim settlers from England arrived in November 1620. Algonquin peoples throughout what would become New England began to see Pilgrim settlers settling in their ancestral lands. Southern Abenaki people such as
13068-461: Was a large neutral political gathering in the Mohawk territory that occurred every three years for tribes and tribal confederacies within and around the Great Lakes, East Coast, and Saint Lawrence River. At one of these councils in the 1680s, the Eastern Algonquians came together to form their own confederation with the aid of an Ottawa " sakom ." The Mawooshen Confederacy, of which Madockawando
13189-555: Was also the most rural state in the Union, with only 38.7% of the state's population living within urban areas. As explained in detail under "Geography", there are large tracts of uninhabited land in some remote parts of the interior of the state, particularly in the North Maine Woods . The mean population center of Maine is located in Kennebec County , just east of Augusta. The Greater Portland metropolitan area
13310-476: Was among the captives. English colonists established contacts with the Mawooshen in 1605. Captain George Weymouth met with them in a large village on the Kennebec River . He took five people as captives to take back to England, where they were questioned about settlements by Sir Ferdinando Gorges . Sakom Tahánedo was the only one of those captives known to have returned home. He accompanied settlers of
13431-411: Was becoming a bigger problem for almost all the Eastern Algonquians to manage separately, but also provided political organization and might to push back collectively against growing English colonial expansionism, as well as mitigating large losses in the recent three-year war with them. The political union incorporated many political elements from other local confederacies like the Iroquois and Huron ,
13552-470: Was complicated, when the Massachusetts Bay Colony was forced to relinquish control of Maine to the heirs of Ferdinando Gorges in 1676. This required them to find the heirs to buy back the land making up Maine, and then to issue grants for people to settle once again. This conflict as a whole was not without significant losses for the soon-to-be Wabanaki peoples, and it became clear that the tribes would have to work together. The First Abenaki War ended with
13673-571: Was forced to release them. The Crown did not arrange their passage back. Italian explorer, Giovanni da Verrazano also reached Wabanaki lands. He was documented about 1525 as capturing a native boy to bring back to France, whom he was sailing for. Around 1534 French explorer Jacques Cartier would explore the Gulf of Saint Lawrence and traded with Mi'kmaq people living in Chaleur Bay . He encountered people now known as St. Lawrence Iroquoians on
13794-560: Was much fought over by the French , English, and allied natives during the 17th and 18th centuries. These natives conducted raids against settlers and each other, taking captives for ransom or, in some cases, kidnapped for adoption by Native American tribes. A notable example was the early 1692 Abenaki raid on York , where about 100 English settlers were killed and another estimated 80 taken hostage. The Abenaki took captives taken during raids of Massachusetts in Queen Anne's War of
13915-517: Was one of the biggest challenges in Wabanaki and European diplomacy. The culture and government style of Wabanaki would strongly push for a clear and mutual understanding of political matters, both internally and externally. The Wabanaki saw and called the Ottawa "our father" for both their role as a leader in the Caughnawaga Council and in being a tribe that helped found Wabanaki and issued binding judgments that help maintain order. This did not mean
14036-479: Was part, was put in a situation where it would be absorbed into a larger confederacy that incorporated the tribes into each other's internal politics and would start to hold their own councils as a new political union. In this new union, the tribes would see each other as brothers, as family. The union helped challenge Iroquois hostilities along the Saint Lawrence River over land and resources which
14157-538: Was physically separate from the rest of Massachusetts. Longstanding disagreements over land speculation and settlements led to Maine residents and their allies in Massachusetts proper forcing an 1807 vote in the Massachusetts Assembly on permitting Maine to secede; the vote failed. Secessionist sentiment in Maine was stoked during the War of 1812 when Massachusetts pro-British merchants opposed
14278-432: Was reached, not one but often at least five representatives speaking on behalf of their respective tribe and nation as a whole would set off to negotiate. Probably influenced by diplomatic exchanges with Huron allies and Iroquois enemies (especially since the 1640s), the Wabanaki began using wampum belts in their diplomacy in the course of the 17th century, when envoys took such belts to send messages to allied tribes in
14399-407: Was remembered in a long chain of oral record-keeping which village elders were in charge of, with multiple elders being able to double check each other. In the 1726 treaty following Dummer's War , the Wabanaki had to challenge a claim that land was sold to English settlers, of which not a single elder had a memory. After much challenge with New England Lt. Governor William Dummer , Wabanaki leadership
14520-462: Was unified as York County, Massachusetts under a 1691 royal patent for the Province of Massachusetts Bay . Central Maine was formerly inhabited by the Androscoggin tribe of the Abenaki nation , also known as Arosaguntacook. They were driven out of the area in 1690 during King William's War . They were relocated to St. Francis , Canada, which was destroyed by Rogers' Rangers in 1759, and
14641-483: Was very careful and took their time to make sure there was as little misunderstanding of the terms of the land and peace as possible. The terms were worked out little by little each day, from August 1 through 5th. When an impasse was found, leadership would withdraw to talk about the matter thoroughly among themselves before reconvening to debate once more, with all representatives debating on the same page, with their most well thought-out arguments. The Wabanaki never had
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