View source for Historical regions of the United States

{{Use American English|date=December 2023}}
{{short description|none}}
[[Image:U.S. Territorial Acquisitions.png|right|thumb|upright=1.25|''National Atlas'' map of United States territorial acquisitions]]

The territory of the United States and its overseas possessions has [[territorial evolution of the United States|evolved over time]], from the [[colonial United States|colonial era]] to the present day. It includes formally organized territories, proposed and failed states, unrecognized [[breakaway state]]s, international and interstate purchases, [[cession]]s, and [[land grant]]s, 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 a more complete list of regions and subdivisions of the United States used in modern times, see [[List of regions of the United States]].

[[File:Wpdms early grants 1621 1639.png|thumb|upright=.90|Map showing mid 17th century claims and land grant boundaries. Some colonies seen here are: Nova Scotia (NSc), Territory of Sagadahock (TS), First Province of Maine (Me), New Hampshire (NH), Plymouth (PC), Massachusetts Bay (MBC), New Netherland (NN), New Sweden (NSw), and Lord Baltimore's Land (Md; Maryland)]]
[[Image:Nieuw Nederland.png|thumb|upright=.90|[[New World]] settlements of [[Republic of the Seven United Netherlands|The Netherlands]], collectively called [[New Netherland]]]]

==Colonial era (before 1776)==
[[Image:Masscolony.png|thumb|upright=.90|The Massachusetts Bay Colony]]
[[Image:Wpdms illinois country settlements 1763.png|thumb|upright=.90|French settlements and forts in the so-called Illinois Country, 1763, which encompassed parts of the modern day states of Illinois, Missouri, Indiana and Kentucky)]]
[[File:Mapofgermancoast-1775.jpg|thumb|upright=.90|A 1775 map of the [[German Coast]], a historical region of present-day Louisiana located above [[New Orleans]] on the eastern bank of the Mississippi River]]
[[File:Vandalia01.png|thumb|upright=.90|''[[Vandalia (colony)|Vandalia]]'' was the name of a proposed British colony located south of the Ohio River, primarily in what is now the U.S. states of West Virginia and eastern Kentucky]]
[[File:Westsylvaniamap.png|thumb|upright=.90|A proposal for the creation of ''[[Westsylvania]]'' was largely deterred by the Revolutionary War]]

===Thirteen Colonies===
{{main|Thirteen Colonies}}
* [[Connecticut Colony]]
* [[Delaware Colony]]
* [[Province of Georgia]]
* [[Province of Maryland]]
* [[Province of Massachusetts Bay]]
* [[Province of New Hampshire]]
* [[Province of New Jersey]]
* [[Province of New York]]
* [[Province of North Carolina]]
* [[Province of Pennsylvania]]
* [[Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations]]
* [[Province of South Carolina]]
* [[Colony of Virginia|Colony and Dominion of Virginia]]

===Pre-Revolutionary War regions===
{{main|European colonization of the Americas}}
† - indicates failed legal entities

====New England====
* [[Acadia]]
* [[Dominion of New England]]†
* [[Equivalent Lands]]
* [[King's College Tract]]
* [[Province of Maine|Provinces of Maine]]†
** [[Territory of Sagadahock]]
** [[Popham Colony]] (or Sagadahoc Colony)†
** [[Province of Maine#1622 patent|Gorges-Mason Grant]]†
** [[Province of New Hampshire|Mason Lands]]
** [[Province of Maine#1639 patent|Gorges Patent]]†
*** [[Lygonia|Lygonia Patent]]†
*** [[New Somersetshire]]†
** [[Waldo Patent|Muscongus Patent]] (also known as the Waldo Patent and, eventually, the [[Bingham Purchase]])
* [[Massachusetts Bay Colony]]
** [[Washington County, Rhode Island|Narragansett Country]]†
* [[New Hampshire Grants]]
* [[New Haven Colony]]
* [[Plymouth Colony]]
* [[Saybrook Colony]]
* [[Wessagusset Colony]]†

====Mid-Atlantic====
* [[Granville District]]
* [[East Jersey]]
* [[West Jersey]]
* [[New Netherland]] and [[New Netherland settlements|its settlements]]
* [[New Sweden]]†

====Southern====
* [[Province of Carolina]]
* [[Fort Caroline]]†
* [[Charlesfort-Santa Elena Site|Charlesfort]]†
* [[Spanish Florida|La Florida]]
** [[St. Augustine, Florida|San Agustín]] (St. Augustine)
** [[San Miguel de Gualdape]]† (in present-day South Carolina)
** [[Mocama Province]]†
* [[Jamestown, Virginia|Jamestown]]
* [[Natchez District]]
* [[Northern Neck Proprietary]] (or "Fairfax Grant")
* [[Roanoke Colony|The Lost Colony of Roanoke]]†
* [[Scottish colonization of the Americas|Stuarts Town]]†

====Interior====
[[Image:NorthAmerica1762-83.png|thumb|upright=.90|Map showing North American territorial boundaries leading up to the [[American Revolution]] and the founding of the [[United States]]: [[Kingdom of Great Britain|British]] claims are indicated in red and pink, while Spanish claims are in orange and yellow.]]

* [[District of West Augusta]]
* [[Illinois Country]]
* [[Indiana Company]]
* [[Indian Reserve (1763)|The Indian Reserve]]
* [[Ohio Company|Ohio Country]] (or The Ohio Company of Virginia)†
* [[Province of Quebec (1763–1791)|Province of Quebec]] (lower portion below the [[Great Lakes]])

====Far West====
Unlike the land to the east, most of the land west of the Mississippi River was under [[New France|French]] or [[New Spain|Spanish]] rule until the first years of the 19th century.
* [[Louisiana (New France)|La Louisiane]]<!-- spelling correct --> (French Louisiana, 1682–1762 and 1802–1803)
** [[Arkansas Post]]
** The [[German Coast]]
* [[Louisiana (New Spain)|Luisiana]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.artifacts.org/Luisiana.htm |title=Luisiana |publisher=Artifacts.org |access-date=2012-09-17}}</ref><!-- ...spelling correct --> (Spanish Louisiana, 1762–1802)
* [[Spanish Texas|Tejas]]
** [[French colonization of Texas|Fort Saint Louis]]†
* [[Santa Fe de Nuevo México]]
* [[Province of Las Californias|Las Californias]]

===Colonies settled but unrecognized===
* [[Transylvania (colony)|Transylvania]]†
* [[Watauga Association|Watauga Republic]]

[[File:Oregoncountry2.png|thumb|upright=.90|The Oregon Country. The dispute over Oregon, between Britain and the U.S., led to an uneasy, parallel governing of the territory for almost 30 years.]]
[[File:Map of USA AK full.png|thumb|upright=.90|[[Alaska Purchase|Seward's Folly]]. The controversial purchase of Alaska from [[Russian Empire|Russia]] in 1867 turned out to be a great deal for the U.S. when the area proved to contain a treasure trove of natural resources.]]
[[File:West Florida Map.png|thumb|upright=.90|The Baton Rouge and Mobile Districts of [[Spanish West Florida]], claimed by the United States, spanned parts of three later states. The Spanish province also included part of the present-day state of Florida.]]

===Colonies proposed but unrealized===
* [[Charlotina|Charlotina Colony]]
* [[Mississippi Land Company|Mississippi Colony]]
* [[Vandalia (colony)|Vandalia Colony]]
* [[Westsylvania]]

==Independent entities later joined to the Union==
* [[Vermont Republic]] (also known as the Republic of New Connecticut), 1791
* [[Republic of Texas]] (disputed with Mexico), 1846
* [[Republic of Hawaii]], 1898 (after U.S. immigrant and military involvement in the [[overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom]])

==Regions purchased from foreign powers==
{{See also|Territorial evolution of the United States|Manifest Destiny}}
* [[Louisiana Purchase]], 1803, from [[French First Republic|France]], for $15,000,000
* [[Florida Purchase]] (or the [[Spanish Cession]]), 1819 (effective 1821), from [[Spain]], for $5,000,000; included: [[East Florida]], [[West Florida]], and [[Sabine Free State]] or [[Neutral Ground (Louisiana)|Neutral Ground]]
* [[Gadsden Purchase]], 1853, from [[Mexico]], for $10,000,000
* [[Alaska Purchase]] (also called "Seward's Folly"), 1867, from [[Russian Empire|Russia]], for $7,200,000
* [[United States Virgin Islands|Virgin Islands]], 1917, from [[Denmark]], for $25,000,000

==Regions annexed from or ceded by foreign powers==
* [[Republic of West Florida|Republic of West Florida Annexation]]; seceded from Spain, 1810; disputed with Spain until 1821
** Baton Rouge District (annexed by the U.S., 1810)
** [[Mobile District]] (annexed by the U.S., 1812)
* [[Pembina Region]], formerly part of [[Rupert's Land]] and the [[Red River Colony]] (often referred to as the [[Treaty of 1818|British Cession of 1818]]) to U.S. in an exchange for the unorganized territory of the original Louisiana Purchase lands north of the 49th parallel
* [[Webster-Ashburton Treaty|The Aroostook War Compromise Lands]]; 1842, split jointly claimed areas with [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|the UK]]
** Maine–New Brunswick Border
*** [[Republic of Indian Stream]]
*** [[Acadia|South Acadia]]
** [[Northwest Angle]]
** [[Rupert's Land]] south of the [[49th parallel north|49th parallel]]
* [[Oregon Country|Oregon Country (U.S.)]]; the 1846 [[Oregon Treaty]] finally split the jointly governed region (called [[British Columbia|Columbia]] by the English) between the U.S. and [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|United Kingdom]] at the [[49th parallel north|49th parallel]]
* [[Mexican Cession]]; effective 1848, from Mexico, including:
** [[Alta California]] (California, Nevada, Utah)
** [[Santa Fe de Nuevo México|Nuevo México]] (New Mexico, Arizona, parts of Texas, Colorado, Oklahoma, Wyoming, Kansas)
*** [[U.S. provisional government of New Mexico|Provisional New Mexico]]
* [[Texas annexation]]; annexed from Mexico in 1846, including most of present-day Texas and parts of Oklahoma, Colorado, Wyoming and No Man's Land; disputed with Mexico until the end of the Mexican–American War in 1848
** included old [[Coahuila y Tejas]] areas
* [[United States Minor Outlying Islands]]; most claimed under the [[Guano Islands Act]] as outside the jurisdiction of other nations (1856 and later)
* After victory in the [[Spanish–American War]] in 1898, from Spain:
** [[Commonwealth of the Philippines|The Philippine Islands]]; became a U.S. Territory (1900–1935) and a U.S. [[commonwealth (U.S. insular area)|commonwealth]] (1935–1946)
** [[Puerto Rico]]
** [[Guam]]
* [[American Samoa]]; 1899, from [[German Empire|Germany]]
{{clear}}
<gallery caption="Some historic and current U.S. territories" widths="230px" perrow="3">
File:Map of Philippines.png|The Philippines was a [[commonwealth (U.S. insular area)|commonwealth]] of the United States, 1935–1946
File:US insular areas.svg|Worldwide location of current U.S. [[insular area]]s:
{{legend|#000080|The USA}}
{{legend|#C000C0|incorporated unorganized territory}}
{{legend|#00C000|unincorporated organized territory}}
{{legend|#FF9933|Commonwealth status}}
{{legend|#FF8080|unincorporated unorganized territory}}
File:Puerto Rico (orthographic projection).png|The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
</gallery>

==Ceded or purchased Native American regions==
{{further|Aboriginal title in the United States|Category:Aboriginal title in the United States}}
[[File:Arkansasterritory.PNG|thumb|upright=.90|Progression of the two territorial governments, 1819–1836: [[Indian Territory]] is in teal;{{explain|reason=Nothing in this image is coloured teal|date=October 2024}} [[Arkansas]] is in dark green; western portion of [[Lovely's Purchase]] is in light green (to Indian Territory, 1828)]]
[[File:Indiana Indian treaties.svg|thumb|upright=.90|Indiana lands acquired through treaties]]
[[File:MDAH Series 0443 Filename 73473-sb5-13.jpg|thumb|Mississippi indigenous claims and cessions]]
* [[Black Hawk Purchase]]; $640,000; purchased 1832; [[Michigan Territory]] (eventually Iowa)
* [[California Indian Reservations and Cessions]]; 1851–52; unratified treaties; California
* [[Cherokee Outlet]]; $7,000,000; purchased 1893; [[Oklahoma Territory]] (eventually Oklahoma)
* [[Cherokee Strip (Kansas)|Cherokee Strip]]; a disputed two-mile wide tract of land between the [[Cherokee Nation (19th century)|Cherokee Nation]] and [[Kansas]] that was eventually ceded to Kansas in 1866
* [[Jackson Purchase (U.S. historical region)|Jackson Purchase]]; $300,000; purchased by Tennessee and Kentucky from the [[Chickasaw Nation]] in 1818
* [[LaFlore's District]] (Mississippi)
* [[Lovely's Donation|Lovely's Purchase]]; 1816 land purchase from the [[Osage Nation]]
* [[Moshulatubee's District]] (Mississippi/Alabama)
* [[Nittakechi's District]] (Mississippi/Alabama)
* [[Platte Purchase]]; $7,500; purchased 1836; Missouri
* [[Saginaw Cession]]; ceded 1819; Michigan Territory (eventually Michigan)

==Interstate, territorial, and federal cessions==
[[Image:United States land claims and cessions 1782-1802.png|thumb|upright=.90|The first state cessions. The 13 original states ceded their western claims to the federal government, allowing for the creation of the country's first western territories and states.]]
The following are [[state cessions]] made during the building of the U.S.
* The [[Wedge (border)|Delaware Wedge]], dispute with Pennsylvania settled in 1921; now a part of the state of [[Delaware]].
* [[Washington, D.C.]]; to [[Federal government of the United States|the federal government]] from [[Virginia]] and [[Maryland]], 1790.
* [[District of Columbia retrocession]]; the return to Virginia of the District of Columbia lands which Virginia had originally ceded for its creation, 1847.
* [[Greer County, Texas]]; a disputed county claimed both by Texas and the [[Federal government of the United States|federal government]]; to Oklahoma Territory, 1896.
* The [[Honey War|Honey Lands]]; a disputed tract of land between the [[Territory of Iowa]] and [[Missouri|State of Missouri]]; to [[Iowa|State of Iowa]], 1851
* [[District of Kentucky]]; from Virginia; became the [[Kentucky|Commonwealth of Kentucky]], 1792.
* [[Illinois County, Virginia|Illinois County]]; from Virginia; became [[Northwest Territory]], 1784.
* [[District of Maine]]; from [[Massachusetts]]; became the state of [[Maine]], 1820.
* The [[Toledo War#Creation of the Toledo Strip|Toledo Strip]]; the object of the nearly bloodless [[Toledo War]] between [[Ohio]] and [[Michigan]]; to Ohio, 1837.
* [[Washington District, North Carolina|Washington District]]; from North Carolina; became the [[Southwest Territory]], 1790.
* [[West Virginia]]; from [[Virginia]]; separating itself from the [[Confederate States of America|Confederacy]], declared 1861; admitted to the Union in 1863.
* [[Connecticut Western Reserve|The Western Reserve]]; from [[Connecticut]] to the [[Northwest Territory]] (Ohio), 1800.
* The [[Yazoo lands]]; from Georgia to the [[Mississippi Territory]], 1802.

==Former organized territories==
[[File:Northwest Territory locator map (1787).svg|thumb|upright=.90|The Northwest Territory was ceded by Great Britain to the United States at the end of the [[American Revolutionary War]]. Britain irrevocably ceded all claims to the territory in the 1814 [[Treaty of Ghent]].]]
[[File:USA Expansion since 1803.jpg|thumb|upright=.90|United States territorial expansion since 1803, maps by William R. Shepherd (1923)]]
[[File:Territorial-acquisition-uscensus-bureau.jpg|thumb|upright=.90|Census Bureau map depicting territorial acquisitions and effective dates of statehood]]

The following is a list of the 31 [[Territories of the United States|U.S. territories]] that have become states, in the order of the date [[Territories of the United States#Organized vs. unorganized territories|organized]] (all were considered [[Territories of the United States#Incorporated vs. unincorporated territories|incorporated]]):

* [[Northwest Territory]] (1787–1803); became the state of [[Ohio]] and the Territory of Indiana
* [[Territory South of the River Ohio]] (also known as the [[Southwest Territory]]) (1790–1796); became the [[Tennessee|State of Tennessee]]
* [[Territory of Mississippi]] (1798–1817); became the [[Mississippi|State of Mississippi]] and the Territory of Alabama
* [[Territory of Indiana]] (1800–1816); split into the Illinois Territory, the Michigan Territory, and the [[Indiana|State of Indiana]]
* [[Territory of Orleans]] (1804–1812); became the [[Louisiana|State of Louisiana]].
* [[Territory of Michigan]] (1805–1837); became [[Michigan|State of Michigan]] and the Territory of Wisconsin
* [[Territory of Louisiana]] (1805–1812) (preceded by the [[District of Louisiana]]), then renamed the Territory of Missouri
* [[Territory of Illinois]] (1809–1818); split into the [[Illinois|State of Illinois]] and additions to the Michigan Territory
* [[Territory of Missouri]] (1812–1821); became the [[Missouri|State of Missouri]] and unorganized territory (the eastern part of which was attached to the Territory of Michigan in 1834)
* [[Territory of Alabama]] (1817–1819); became the [[Alabama|State of Alabama]]
* [[Territory of Arkansas]] (1819–1836); became the [[Arkansas|State of Arkansas]], additions to the unorganized territory of the original Louisiana Purchase, and the unorganized Indian Territory (which eventually spawned [[Indian Territory]], [[Oklahoma Territory]] and [[Neutral Strip|No Man's Land]])
* [[Territory of Florida]] (1822–1845); became the [[Florida|State of Florida]]
* [[Territory of Wisconsin]] (1836–1848); split into the [[Wisconsin|State of Wisconsin]], the Iowa Territory and Unorganized Territory
* [[Territory of Iowa]] (1838–1846); split into the [[Iowa|State of Iowa]] and unorganized territory of the original Louisiana Purchase
* [[Territory of Oregon]] (1848–1859) (preceded by the unrecognized [[Oregon Country]]); split into the [[Oregon|State of Oregon]] and Washington Territory
* [[Territory of Minnesota]] (1849–1858) (preceded by unorganized territory of the original Northwest Territory (remnant of former Wisconsin Territory) and original Louisiana Purchase); split into the [[Minnesota|State of Minnesota]] and unorganized territory of the original Louisiana Purchase
* [[Territory of New Mexico]] (1850–1912) (preceded by [[Santa Fe de Nuevo México|Nuevo Mexico]], of which the southern part was known as the [[Arizona Territory (CSA)|Arizona Territory]] (1861–1864) by the [[Confederate States of America]]); split into the [[Arizona Territory]] and the [[New Mexico|State of New Mexico]]
* [[Territory of Utah]] (1850–1896) (preceded by [[Alta California]] and the unrecognized [[State of Deseret]]); split into the [[Utah|State of Utah]], the Nevada Territory, additions to the Colorado Territory and additions to the Wyoming Territory
* [[Territory of Washington]] (1853–1889); became the [[Washington (state)|State of Washington]] and additions to the Idaho Territory.
* [[Territory of Kansas]] (1854–1861) (preceded by unorganized territory of the original Louisiana Purchase); part became the modern [[Kansas|State of Kansas]]; the western part became part of the Colorado Territory
* [[Territory of Nebraska]] (1854–1867) (preceded by unorganized territory of the original Louisiana Purchase); split into the [[Nebraska|State of Nebraska]], the Dakota Territory, additions to the Idaho Territory and additions to the Colorado Territory
* [[Territory of Colorado]] (1861–1876) (preceded by parts of the territories of Kansas, Utah, New Mexico and Nebraska); became the [[Colorado|State of Colorado]] (see also [[Jefferson Territory]])
* [[Territory of Nevada]] (1861–1864) (preceded by the Utah Territory and the unrecognized [[State of Deseret]]); became the [[Nevada|State of Nevada]].
* [[Territory of Dakota]] (1861–1889); became the [[North Dakota|State of North Dakota]], the [[South Dakota|State of South Dakota]], additions to the Idaho Territory and additions to the Wyoming Territory.
* [[Territory of Arizona]] (1863–1912); became the [[Arizona|State of Arizona]] and an addition to the [[Nevada|State of Nevada]].
* [[Territory of Idaho]] (1863–1890) (preceded by parts of the territories of Washington, Dakota, and Nebraska); became the [[Idaho|State of Idaho]], the Montana Territory, additions to the Dakota Territory and additions to the Wyoming Territory.
* [[Territory of Montana]] (1864–1889); became the [[Montana|State of Montana]].
* [[Territory of Wyoming]] (1868–1890) (preceded by parts of the territories of Dakota, Utah and Idaho); became the [[Wyoming|State of Wyoming]].
* [[Territory of Oklahoma]] (1890–1907) (preceded by the unorganized [[Indian Territory]] (1834–1907) and the [[Neutral Strip]]); became the [[Oklahoma|State of Oklahoma]].
* [[Territory of Hawaii]] (1900–1959) (preceded by the [[Republic of Hawaii]]); became the [[Hawaii|State of Hawaii]].
* [[Territory of Alaska]] (1912–1959) (preceded by the [[Department of Alaska]] and the [[District of Alaska]]); became the [[Alaska|State of Alaska]].

==Internal land grants, cessions, districts, departments, claims and settlements==
[[File:Map of Military Reserves in the United States, 1778–1816, with Dates of Creation.jpg|thumb|Map of Military Reserves in the United States, 1778–1816, with Dates of Creation]]

[[Image:Ohio Country en.png|upright=.90|thumb|The Ohio Country, indicating battle sites between settlers and [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American Tribes]], 1775–1794]]

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 Americans in the United States|Native American]] cessions or land purchases.

<!--* [[Carver's Tract]] (Wisconsin)   --please create article(s) before listing link-->
* [[Chickamauga Wars (1776–1794)#Cumberland Settlements|Cumberland District, North Carolina]] (also called the District of Miro); Tennessee.
* [[District of Louisiana]]; Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota, North and South Dakota, Montana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Colorado, Wyoming; renamed [[Missouri Territory]] in 1812.<!--
* [[Marquette District]] (Wisconsin)  --please create article(s) before listing link-->
* [[Military Tract of 1812]]; Illinois, Michigan, Arkansas, Missouri.<!--
* [[New York Lands (Kansas)]]  --please create article(s) before listing link-->
* [[Ohio Country]]; parts of Ohio, Indiana, Pennsylvania, West Virginia.<!-- This is not the pre-revolution Ohio Country of the Ohio Company. --->

===Alaska===
* [[District of Alaska]]; renamed the [[Alaska Territory]] in 1912.

===Colorado===
* [[Pike's Peak Country]]

===Iowa===
<!--
* [[Dubuque's Claim]]
* [[Giard Grant]]  --please create article(s) before listing link-->
* [[Half-Breed Tract]]<!--
* [[Iowa District]]  --please create article(s) before listing link-->
* [[Keokuk's Reserve]]<!--
* [[Neutral Ground (Iowa)]]
* [[Potawatomi Cession]]
* [[Sac and Fox Cession]]
* [[Sioux Cession]]  --please create article(s) before listing link-->

===Nebraska===
* [[Nemaha Half-Breed Reservation]]

===New York===
[[File:WNY5.PNG|thumb|upright=.90|Selected tract purchases of western New York State]]
* [[Central New York Military Tract]]
* [[The Holland Purchase]]
* [[Macomb's Purchase]]
* [[Phelps and Gorham Purchase#Mill Yard Tract|Mill Yard Tract]]
* [[The Morris Reserve]]
* [[Phelps and Gorham Purchase]]
* [[The Triangle Tract]]

===Ohio===
{{main|Ohio Lands}}
[[File:Ohio Lands.svg|thumb|upright=.90|Map of the Ohio Lands]]
* [[Canal Lands]]
* [[College Lands]]
* [[College Township]]
* [[Congress Lands]] (or Congressional Lands, 1798–1821)
** [[Congress Lands North of Old Seven Ranges]]
** [[Congress Lands West of Miami River]]
** [[Congress Lands East of Scioto River]]
** [[North and East of First Principal Meridian]]
** [[South and East of the First Principal Meridian]]
* [[Dohrman Tract]]
* [[Ephraim Kimberly Grant]]
* [[Firelands]] or Sufferers' Lands
* [[French Grant]]
* [[Indian Land Grants]]
* [[Maumee Road Lands]]
* [[Michigan meridian]] (or Michigan Meridian Survey; also Toledo Tract)
* [[Miami & Erie Canal Lands]]
* [[Ministerial Lands]]
* [[Moravian Indian Grants]]
** [[Gnadenhutten Tract]]
** [[Salem Tract]]
** [[Schoenbrunn Tract]]
* [[Ohio & Erie Canal Lands]]
* [[Ohio Company of Associates|The Ohio Company]]
** [[Donation Tract]]
** First Purchase
** [[Purchase on the Muskingum]] (or Second Purchase)
* [[Refugee Tract]]
* [[Salt Reservations]] (or Salt Lands)
* [[School Lands]]
* [[Seven Ranges]] (or Old Seven Ranges)
* [[Symmes Purchase]] (or Miami Purchase; also the Land Between the Miamis)
* [[Turnpike Lands]]
* [[Twelve Mile Square Reservation]]
* [[Two Mile Square Reservation]]
* [[United States Military District]]
* [[Virginia Military District]]
* [[Zane's Tracts]] (or Zane's Grant; also Ebenezer Zane Tract)

===Oklahoma===
[[Image:Okterritory.png|thumb|upright=.90|[[Oklahoma Territory]] and [[Indian Territory]], along with [[Neutral Strip|No Man's Land]] (also known as the [[Oklahoma Panhandle]]). The division of the two territories is shown with a heavy purple line. Together, these three areas would become the [[State of Oklahoma]] in 1907.]]
* [[Big Pasture]]
* [[Indian Territory]] or [[Indian country|The Oklahoma Indian Country]]
* [[Oklahoma Panhandle|Neutral Strip]] (or No Man's Land)
* [[Unassigned Lands]]

====Indian reserves====
* [[Cherokee Nation (19th century)|The original]] and current [[Cherokee Nation]]
* [[Cheyenne]]–[[Arapaho]] Reserve
* [[Chickasaw Nation|Chickasaw]] Reserve
* [[Choctaw Nation|Choctaw]] Reserve
* [[Comanche]], [[Kiowa]] and [[Plains Apache|Apache]] Reserve
* [[Muscogee Nation|Creek]] Reserve
* [[Iowa tribe|Iowa]] Reserve
* [[Kaw (tribe)|Kaw]] Reserve
* [[Kickapoo people|Kickapoo]] Reserve
* [[Osage Nation|Osage]] Reserve<!--
* [[Osage Ceded Lands]]
* [[Osage Diminished Reserve]], Kansas -->
* [[Ponca]] and [[Otoe tribe|Otoe]]–[[Missouria]] Reserve
* [[Potawatomi|Citizen Potawatomi]] and [[Shawnee|Absentee Shawnee]] Reserve
* [[Sac and Fox Nation|Sac and Fox Reserve]]
* [[Seminole Nation|Seminole]] Reserve
* [[Tonkawa|Tonkawa Reserve]]
* [[Wichita people|Wichita]] and [[Caddo]] Reserve

[[File:Pennsylvania land purchases.png|thumb|upright=.90|Pennsylvania land purchases from Native Americans]]

===Pennsylvania===
* [[Erie Triangle]]
* [[Treaty of Fort Stanwix|New Purchase]]
* [[Walking Purchase]]
* [[Welsh Tract]]

=== Tennessee ===
[[File:Aboriginal map of Tennessee LOC 2006626014.jpg|thumb|"Aboriginal map of Tennessee" (1886) ]]
* [[Congressional Reservation]]
* [[Greene's Reserve]]
* [[North Carolina Military Reservation]]
* [[Western Purchase]]

==Federal military districts and departments==
{{see also|Reconstruction Era#Military reconstruction}}
These entities were sometimes 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.

===Central United States===
* [[Department of the Northwest]] (1862–1865) Dakota, Minnesota, Montana, Wisconsin, Iowa, Nebraska<ref>Heidler, David Stephen; Heidler, Jeanne T.; Coles, David J.; ''Encyclopedia of the American Civil War: A Political, Social, and Military History'';  W. W. Norton & Company; New York; 2000; p. 590.</ref>
** District of Minnesota (1862–1865)
** District of Wisconsin (1862–1865)
** District of Iowa (1862–1865)
** District of Dakota (1862–1866)
** District of Montana (1864–1866)
* [[Department of the Missouri]] (1861–1865) Missouri, Arkansas, Illinois, part of Kentucky, and later Kansas; re-configured in 1865 as part of the Division of the Missouri.
* [[Department of the Missouri|Division of the Missouri]] (1865–1891).
** [[Department of Dakota]] (1866–1911) Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, and parts of Idaho, South Dakota and the Yellowstone portion of Wyoming.
** [[Department of the Missouri]] (1865–1891) Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Indian Territory, and Territory of Oklahoma.
** [[Department of the Platte]] (1866–1898) Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, Dakota Territory, Utah Territory, Wyoming (except Yellowstone), and a portion of Idaho.
** Department of Texas (1871–1880) (originally part of the Department of the Gulf) Texas after 1865.
* [[Department of New Mexico]] (1854–65) New Mexico Territory; previously part of the District of California and the Department of the West.

===Pacific area===
* [[Pacific Division (United States Army)|Pacific Division]] (1848–1853) lands won in the [[Mexican–American War]]; became the original Department of the Pacific in 1853.
** Military Department 10 (1848–1851) California.
** Military Department 11 (1848–1851) Oregon Territory.
* [[Department of the Pacific]] (1853–1858; and 1861–1865); separated into the Department of California and the Department of Oregon in 1858.
** [[District of Oregon]] (1853–1858) Washington Territory, Oregon Territory.
** [[District of California]] (1853–1858) California, New Mexico Territory; Utah added 1858

During the American Civil War, the Department of the Pacific had six subordinate military districts:
* [[District of Oregon (military)|District of Oregon]] (headquarters at [[Fort Vancouver]]) January 15, 1861 – July 27, 1865
* [[District of California]] (headquarters at San Francisco, co-located with Department of the Pacific). Independent command from Department from (July 1, 1864 – July 27, 1865); those parts of California not in other districts.
* [[District of Southern California]] (September 25, 1861 – July 27, 1865); Counties of [[Southern California]] (southward from [[San Luis Obispo County, California|San Luis Obispo]] and [[Tulare County, California|Tulare]] Counties).
* [[District of Humboldt]] (December 12, 1861 – July 27, 1865); Del Norte, Humboldt, Klamath, Mendocino Counties of California.
* [[District of Utah]] (August 6, 1862 – July 27, 1865);  Utah Territory, Nevada Territory, later State of Nevada.
* [[District of Arizona]] (March 7, 1865 – July 27, 1865); Territory of Arizona

The [[Department of California]] (1858–1861) comprised 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.
* [[Military Division of the Pacific]] (1865–1891).
** [[Department of Alaska]] (1868–1884) became the civilian-ruled District of Alaska.
** [[Department of Arizona]] (1865–1891) Arizona Territory; included New Mexico Territory after 1885.
** [[Department of the Columbia]]  (1865–1891) Oregon, Washington Territory, part of Idaho Territory, and Alaska after 1870.
*** [[District of Oregon]] (1865–1867) Washington Territory, Oregon Territory and Idaho Territory.
** New Department of California (1865–1891) California, Nevada Territory, Arizona Territory, and part of New Mexico Territory.

[[File:Reconstruction military districts.svg|thumb|upright=.90|Post-Civil War military districts were set up to aid in the [[repatriation]] process of the southern states during [[Reconstruction era of the United States|Reconstruction]].]]
===The south===
* [[Department of the Gulf]] (1862–1865; created by the U.S. for the [[American Civil War|Civil War]]) Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, and Texas.
* [[Trans-Mississippi]] (or Trans-Mississippi Department; [[Confederate States of America|CSA]]) (1862–1865). Formerly "Military Dept. 2"; Missouri, Arkansas, Texas, Indian Territory (now Oklahoma), Kansas, and Louisiana west of the Mississippi River.

===The west===
* [[Department of the West]] (1853–1861): all U.S. lands between the [[Mississippi River]] and the Military District of the Pacific not included in other Districts or Departments.

==Retroceded possessions and overseas territories==
[[File:CanalZone.png|thumb|upright=.90|The Panama Canal Zone was once a territory of the United States]]
* The [[Milk River (Montana-Alberta)|Milk River]] and [[Poplar River (Montana–Saskatchewan)|Poplar River]] cessions to the [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|United Kingdom]] ([[Treaty of 1818]])
* [[Commonwealth of the Philippines]] to [[Philippines|Republic of the Philippines]] (1946)
* [[Chamizal|Chamizal, Texas]], to [[Mexico]] (1964)
* [[Swan Islands, Honduras|Swan Islands]] to [[Honduras]] (1971)
* [[Rio Rico, Texas]], ([[Horcón Tract]]) to Mexico (1977)
* [[Panama Canal Zone]] to [[Panama]] (1979)
* [[Canton and Enderbury Islands]] (administered jointly with the [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland|UK]]) to [[Kiribati]] (1979)

==Functioning but non-sanctioned territories==
[[File:State_of_Deseret,_vector_image_cropped_-_2011.svg|thumb|upright=.90|The boundaries of the State of Deseret, as proposed in 1849]]
These "territories" had actual, functioning governments (recognized or not):
* [[Cimarron Territory]]
* [[State of Deseret]]
* [[State of Franklin|State of Frankland / Franklin]]
* [[Jefferson Territory]]
* [[Kansas Territory]] (1854–1861) had two different governments in different cities, pro-slavery and anti-slavery, each claiming to be the real, lawful government of the entire territory. Since Kansas entered the union as a free state in 1861, there has only been one capital, [[Topeka, Kansas]]. It entered as a free state in 1861 because the entire pro-slavery block in Congress, which would not have allowed this, had left to become the Confederacy.
* [[Long Republic]]
* [[Nataqua Territory]]
* [[Trans-Oconee Republic]]

===Civil War-related===
[[File:United States 1860-1870.gif|thumb|upright=.90|Animated map of secession and repatriation of the [[Confederate States of America|Confederacy]], 1860–1870]]
These are functioning governments created as a result of the attempted secession of the Confederacy during the [[American Civil War]] (1861–1865). Some were [[enclave]]s within enemy-held territories:
* [[Confederate States of America|Confederate States of America (CSA)]] – see map.
** [[Confederate Arizona]] (parts of the territories of [[Arizona Territory|Arizona]] and [[New Mexico Territory|New Mexico]])
** [[Dade County, Georgia#History|State of Dade]]
** [[Republic of South Carolina|Second Republic of South Carolina]]

These were regions disassociated from neighboring areas due to opposing views:
* [[Nickajack]]
* [[Jones County, Mississippi#Free State of Jones|Free State of Jones]]
* [[Republic of Winston]] (see [[Winston County, Alabama]])
* [[State of Scott]], seceded from [[Tennessee in the American Civil War|Tennessee]] and became a Union [[enclave]] (see [[Scott County, Tennessee]])
* [[Town Line, New York]]
*[[Van Zandt County, Texas|Free State of Van Zandt]], seceded from Texas to be its own republic.

==Regional nicknames==
{{Main|List of regions of the United States}}
[[File:US 9 regions.svg|thumb|upright=.90|alt=The four [[United States Census Bureau]] Regions separated by color, with the nine Census Divisions further delineated by shading
|Regions of the United States:
{{Legend|#0000ba|New England}}
{{Legend|#1e1eff|Mid-Atlantic}}
{{Legend|#878700|East North Central (Great Lakes, or Eastern Midwest)}}
{{Legend|#9f9f00|West North Central (Western Midwest, or The Great Plains States)}}
{{Legend|#ba0000|South Atlantic}}
{{Legend|#e70000|East South Central}}
{{Legend|#ff2424|West South Central}}
{{Legend|#00c300|Mountain States}}
{{Legend|#00e400|Pacific States}}
]]
* [[Eastern United States]]
** [[East Coast of the United States|The East Coast]]
** [[Northeastern United States|The Northeast]]
*** [[New England]]
*** [[Mid-Atlantic States]]
**** The [[Burned-over district|Burnt-Over District]]
** [[South Atlantic States]]
** [[Appalachia]]
** [[East North Central States]]
* [[Southern United States|The South]]
** [[Border states (American Civil War)|Border States]]
** The [[Deep South]]
** [[Dixie]]
* [[Midwestern United States|The Midwest]]
** The [[Great Plains]]
*** The [[Dust Bowl]]
* [[Western United States|The West]]
** [[Mountain States]]
*** [[Rocky Mountains|The Rockies]]
*** [[Inland Northwest|Inland Empire (Washington and Idaho)]]
*** [[Great Basin]]
** [[Southwestern United States|The Southwest]]
*** The [[Four Corners]]
** [[West Coast of the United States|The West Coast]]
*** [[Pacific Northwest|The Pacific Northwest]]

===Belts===
[[List of belt regions of the United States|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 the region's economy or climate.
{{Div col|small=yes}}
* [[Bible Belt]]
* [[Black Belt in the American South|Black Belt]]
* [[Borscht Belt]]
* [[Breadbasket#North America|Breadbasket of the United States]]
* [[Cotton Belt]]
* [[Corn Belt]] or Grain Belt
* [[Mormon Corridor]] or "Jello Belt"
* [[Lead Belt]]
* [[Rust Belt]]
* [[Snowbelt|Snow Belt]]
* [[Sun Belt]]
* [[Tornado Alley]]
{{Div col end}}

==See also==
* [[European colonization of the Americas]]
* [[List of former United States counties]]
* [[List of regions of the United States]]
* [[Political divisions of the United States]]
* [[Proposed states and territories of the United States]]
* [[Territorial evolution of the United States]]
* [[Territories of the United States on stamps]]
* [[United States territorial acquisitions]]
* ''[[Indian Land Cessions in the United States]]'' (1898)
* [[American Colonization Society]] and [[history of Liberia]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Historical regions of the United States}}
* [http://www.thegreenpapers.com/slg/statehood.phtml Official Name and Status History of the several States and U.S. Territories]
* [http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/amlaw/lwss-ilc.html Indian Land Cessions in the United States, 1784–1894; United States Serial Set, Number 4015]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090909073913/http://xroads.virginia.edu/~MAP/terr_hp.html United States Territorial Maps 1775–1920]
* {{YouTube|pJxrTzfG2bo|Animated map of Native American cessions, treaties, reservations, et al.}} (1&nbsp;mi 30 sec)

{{USStateLists}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Historic Regions Of The United States}}
[[Category:Former organized territories of the United States| ]]
[[Category:Former regions and territories of the United States| ]]
[[Category:Colonial settlements in North America|United States]]
[[Category:Colonization history of the United States]]
[[Category:Former countries in North America|United States]]
[[Category:Former territorial entities in North America|United States]]
[[Category:Historical geography of the United States]]
[[Category:Histories of territories of the United States| ]]
[[Category:Proposed states and territories of the United States]]
[[Category:Political divisions of the United States]]