Regional definitions vary from source to source. The states shown in dark red are usually included, while all or portions of the striped states may or may not be considered part of the Midwestern United States.

The Midwestern United States (or Midwest) is a region of the north-central and northeastern United States of America. The term's etymology is now somewhat archaic, as the region's states were once a part of the Northwest Territory and the region was known as being a part of the "Middle West" of the United States before the Louisiana Purchase. Presently, this region is primarily neither the middle nor the west of the United States (see map), although the nation's geographical center (excluding Alaska) is in Kansas and the Dakotas and Nebraska have most of their territory in the western half of the country, although the Midwest Frontier Strip states are more populated toward the East. More accurate regional terms for these locations are the East North Central States and the West North Central States, as defined by the United States Census Bureau. Image File history File links US_map-Midwest. ... Image File history File links US_map-Midwest. ... Adjective archaic (more archaic, most archaic) From an earlier period and no longer in common use; of or characterized by antiquity or archaism, antiquated. ... The Northwest Territory, also known as the Old Northwest and the Territory North West of the Ohio, was a government and region within the early United States. ... From Frank Bond, Louisiana and the Louisiana Purchase. ... Meades Ranch in Kansas boasts the geodetic base point for the North American Datum of 1927 (NAD 27) at 39° 13 26. ... Official language(s) None Capital Topeka Largest city Wichita Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 15th 82,277 mi²; 213,096 km² 211 mi; 340 km 400 mi; 645 km 0. ... Frontier Strip refers to the American six states from North Dakota south to Texas. ... The East North Central States form one of the nine geographic divisions within the United States which are officially recognized by that countrys census bureau. ... The West North Central States form one of the nine geographic divisions within the United States that are officially recognized by that countrys census bureau. ... The United States Census Bureau (officially Bureau of the Census) is a part of the United States Department of Commerce. ...

Terminology

The term "Middle West" originated in the 19th century, followed by "Midwest" and "Heartland", and referred to generally the same areas and states in the region. The heart of the Midwest is bounded by the Great Lakes and the Ohio and Mississippi River Valleys, the "Old Northwest" (or the "West"), referring to the states of Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, and Wisconsin, which comprised the original Northwest Territory. This area is now called the East North Central States by the United States Census Bureau. The Northwest Territory was created out of the ceded English (formerly French and Native American) frontier lands under the Northwest Ordinance by the Continental Congress just before the U.S. Constitution was ratified. The Northwest Ordinance prohibited slavery and religious discrimination, and promoted public schools and private property. As Revolutionary War soldiers from the original colonies were awarded lands in Ohio and migrated there and to other Midwestern states with other pioneers, including many immigrants from central and northern Europe, the area became the first thoroughly "American" region. The Midwest region today refers not only to states created from the Northwest Ordinance, but also may include states between the Appalachian Mountains to the Rocky Mountains and north of the Ohio River. Heartland is a most often a geopolitical term, often used to refer to a central area of Eurasia that is remote and inaccessible from the periphery. ... The Great Lakes from space The Great Lakes are a group of five large lakes on or near the United States-Canadian border. ... Ohio River viewed from Liberty Hill in Ripley, Ohio. ... This article is about the river in the United States. ... Official language(s) None Capital Columbus Largest city Columbus (largest metropolitan area is Cleveland) Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 34th 116,096 km² 355 km 355 km 8. ... Official language(s) English Capital Indianapolis Largest city Indianapolis Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 38th 94,321 km² 225 km 435 km 1. ... Official language(s) English de-facto Capital Lansing Largest city Detroit Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 11th 96,889 mi² 250,941 km² 239 miles 385 km 491 miles 790 km 41. ... Official language(s) English Capital Springfield Largest city Chicago Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 25th 149,998 km² 340 km 629 km 4. ... Official language(s) None Capital Madison Largest city Milwaukee Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 23rd 169,790 km² 420 km 500 km 17 42°30N to 47°3N 86°49W to 92°54W Population  - Total (2000)  - Density Ranked 18th 5,453,896 38. ... The Northwest Territory, also known as the Old Northwest and the Territory North West of the Ohio, was a government and region within the early United States. ... The East North Central States form one of the nine geographic divisions within the United States which are officially recognized by that countrys census bureau. ... The United States Census Bureau (officially Bureau of the Census) is a part of the United States Department of Commerce. ... The NW ORdinace (formally An Ordinance for the Government of the Territory of the United States, North-West of the River Ohio, and also known as the Freedom Ordinance) was an act of the Continental Congress of the United States passed on July 13, 1787 under the Articles of Confederation. ... The Continental Congress is the label given to three successive bodies of representatives: The First Continental Congress met from September 5, 1774 to October 26, 1774. ... Page I of the Constitution of the United States of America Page II of the United States Constitution Page III of the United States Constitution Page IV of the United States Constitution The Syng inkstand, with which the Constitution was signed The Constitution of the United States is the supreme... The Buxton Memorial Fountain, celebrating the emancipation of slaves in the British Empire in 1834, London. ... Religious discrimination is valuing a person or group lower because of their religion, or treating someone differently because of what they do or dont believe. ... The term public school has two contrary meanings: In England, one of a small number of prestigious historic schools open to the public which normally charge fees and are financed by bodies other than the state, commonly as private charitable trusts; here the word public is used much as in... This page deals with property as ownership rights. ... The American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), also known as the American War of Independence, was a war fought primarily between Great Britain and revolutionaries within thirteen of her North American colonies. ... World map showing Europe Europe is conventionally considered one of the seven continents which, in this case, is more a cultural and political distinction than a physiogeographic one. ... The NW ORdinace (formally An Ordinance for the Government of the Territory of the United States, North-West of the River Ohio, and also known as the Freedom Ordinance) was an act of the Continental Congress of the United States passed on July 13, 1787 under the Articles of Confederation. ... A rainy day in the Great Smoky Mountains, Western North Carolina The Appalachian Mountains (French: les Appalaches) are a vast system of North American mountains, partly in Canada, but mostly in the United States, extending as a zone, from 100 to 300 miles wide, running from Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada... White Goat Wilderness Area, Alberta, Canada The Rocky Mountains, often called the Rockies, are a broad mountain range in western North America. ... Ohio River viewed from Liberty Hill in Ripley, Ohio. ...

The term West was applied to the region in the early years of the country. During this time, the vast majority of the population lived east of the Appalachian Mountains, but the country's borders stretched west all the way to the Rocky Mountains. Later, the vast region west of the Appalachians was divided into the Far West (now just the West), and the Middle West. Some parts of the Midwest have also been referred to as North West for historical reasons (for instance, this explains the Minnesota-based Northwest Airlines and the former Norwest Bank, as well as Northwestern University in Illinois), so the current Northwest region of the country is called the Pacific Northwest to make a clear distinction. This article deals with the western United States. ... Northwest Airlines (IATA: NW, ICAO: NWA, and Callsign: Northwest) is an airline headquartered in Eagan, Minnesota, with three major hubs in the United States: Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport, Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, and Memphis International Airport. ... A typical Wells Fargo store, located in Berkeley, California Wells Fargo NYSE: WFC is a financial services company in the United States with consumer finance subsidiaries doing business in Canada, the Northern Mariana Islands and the Caribbean. ... Northwestern University is a private, coeducational, non-sectarian university, located in Evanston, Illinois and Chicago, Illinois. ... Darker red states are always part of the Pacific Northwest. ...

The Midwest is a term is sometimes used interchangeably with the "Heartland" or "Middle America" although midwesterners sometimes consider these to be pejorative terms. Heartland is a most often a geopolitical term, often used to refer to a central area of Eurasia that is remote and inaccessible from the periphery. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Look up pejorative on Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Definition

Though definitions vary, any definition of the Midwest would include the Northwest Ordinance "Old Northwest" states and often includes many states that were part of the Louisiana Purchase. The states of the Old Northwest are also known as "Great Lakes states". Many of the Louisiana Purchase states are also known as Great Plains states. The Midwest is defined, by the U.S. Census Bureau as these 12 states: The Northwest Territory, also known as the Old Northwest and the Territory North West of the Ohio, was a government and region within the early United States. ... From Frank Bond, Louisiana and the Louisiana Purchase. ... The Great Lakes states are colored red in this map. ... The Great Plains is the broad expanse of prairie which lies east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States of America and Canada, covering all or parts of the U.S. states of New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, Montana, South Dakota and North Dakota and the... Motto: Official (Latin): E pluribus unum (1789 to 1956) (Translated: Out of Many, One) In God We Trust (1956 to present) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington, D.C. Largest city New York City Official language(s) None at federal level; English de facto Government  â€¢ President  â€¢ Vice President Federal... The United States Census Bureau (officially Bureau of the Census) is a part of the United States Department of Commerce. ...

• Illinois: Old Northwest, Ohio River and Great Lakes state
• Indiana: Old Northwest, Ohio River and Great Lakes state
• Iowa: Louisiana Purchase
• Kansas: Louisiana Purchase, Great Plains state
• Michigan: Old Northwest, and Great Lakes state
• Minnesota: Old Northwest, and Great Lakes state; western part Louisiana Purchase
• Missouri: Louisiana Purchase, Border state
• Nebraska: Louisiana Purchase, Great Plains state
• North Dakota: Louisiana Purchase, Great Plains state
• Ohio: Old Northwest (Historic Connecticut Western Reserve), Ohio River and Eastern Great Lakes state. Also a Northeastern Appalachian state in the SE.
• South Dakota: Louisiana Purchase, Great Plains state
• Wisconsin: Old Northwest, and Great Lakes state

Chicago is the largest city in the region and the third largest in the nation; other important cities in the regions include Cleveland, Columbus, Indianapolis, Detroit, St. Louis, Kansas City, Cincinnati, Des Moines, Toledo, Milwaukee, Minneapolis and St. Paul. Small towns and agricultural communities in Kansas, Iowa, South Dakota and Nebraska loom an imaginative description of the traditionally thought-of Midwestern spirit. Official language(s) English Capital Springfield Largest city Chicago Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 25th 149,998 km² 340 km 629 km 4. ... Official language(s) English Capital Indianapolis Largest city Indianapolis Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 38th 94,321 km² 225 km 435 km 1. ... Official language(s) English Capital Des Moines Largest city Des Moines Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 26th 145,743 km² 320 km 500 km 0. ... Official language(s) None Capital Topeka Largest city Wichita Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 15th 82,277 mi²; 213,096 km² 211 mi; 340 km 400 mi; 645 km 0. ... Official language(s) English de-facto Capital Lansing Largest city Detroit Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 11th 96,889 mi² 250,941 km² 239 miles 385 km 491 miles 790 km 41. ... Official language(s) None Capital Saint Paul Largest city Minneapolis Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 12th 225,365 km² 400 km 645 km 8. ... Official language(s) English Capital Jefferson City Largest city Kansas City Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 21st 69,709 mi²; 180,693 km² 240 mi; 385 km 300 mi; 480 km 1. ... Official language(s) English Capital Lincoln Largest city Omaha Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 16th 200,520 km² 340 km 690 km 0. ... Official language(s) English Capital Bismarck Largest city Fargo Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 19th 183 272 km² 340 km 545 km 2. ... Official language(s) None Capital Columbus Largest city Columbus (largest metropolitan area is Cleveland) Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 34th 116,096 km² 355 km 355 km 8. ... The Connecticut Western Reserve was land claimed by Connecticut in the Northwest Territory in what is now northeastern Ohio. ... Official language(s) English Capital Pierre Largest city Sioux Falls Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 17th 199,905 km² 340 km 610 km 1. ... Official language(s) None Capital Madison Largest city Milwaukee Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 23rd 169,790 km² 420 km 500 km 17 42°30N to 47°3N 86°49W to 92°54W Population  - Total (2000)  - Density Ranked 18th 5,453,896 38. ... Nickname: The Windy City Motto: Urbs In Horto (Latin: City in a Garden), I Will Official website: http://egov. ... Nickname: The Forest City Motto: Progress and Prosperity Official website: www. ... Nickname: The Arch City The Discovery City Motto: Official website: http://www. ... Nickname: Motto: Official website: http://www. ... Nickname: The Motor City, Motown Motto: Speramus Meliora; Resurget Cineribus (Latin for, We Hope For Better Things; It Shall Rise From the Ashes) Official website: http://www. ... Nickname: Gateway City, Gateway to the West, or Mound City Motto: Official website: http://stlouis. ... The Kansas City Metropolitan Area is a metropolitan area situated at the confluence of the Kansas and Missouri rivers and straddling the state border between Missouri and Kansas. ... Nickname: The Queen City Motto: Official website: http://www. ... Des Moines skyline, as seen from the Iowa State Capitol. ... Nickname: The Glass City Motto: Official website: http://www. ... Nickname: The City of Festivals, The Genuine American City, Cream City, Brewtown/Brew City Motto: Official website: http://www. ... Nickname: City of Lakes Motto: En Avant Official website: http://www. ... Motto: Nickname: Location in Ramsey County, Minnesota Founded 1851 Incorporated 1854 County Ramsey County Borough {{{borough}}} Parrish {{{parrish}}} Mayor Chris Coleman (DFL) Area  - Total  - Water 145. ...

Northeast Ohio is a region stuck in a middleground-state. The region includes Rustbelt cities that strikingly resemble Eastern cities like Buffalo and Pittsburgh. Cleveland, Akron, and Youngstown have a combined population of approximately 4 million. The people, depending on the specific city or subregion in Northeast Ohio even argue about their regional identity, preference, or affiliation. The area's political views lean towards the Labor-Liberal persuasion. The NEO region is part of the Eastern Standard Time Zone, the Rustbelt, and cannot accurately be considered a part of the "Midwest," the Heartland, or the Great Plains. A book was published in the mid-1990s labeling Cleveland as the city where "The East Coast Meets the Midwest." Nickname: The Forest City Motto: Progress and Prosperity Official website: www. ... Nickname: The Rubber Capital of the World Motto: Official website: http://www. ... Youngstown is a city located in Mahoning and Trumbull counties in Ohio, on the Mahoning River, 67 miles southeast of Cleveland, Ohio. ...

Highway signs along Interstate 80 in Ohio's Trumbull and Mahoning counties display "New York City" as their control city. Thus, it is arguable that this shows an affinity for Ohioans in that area to the Northeast. Still others will argue that the more likely reason is that there are no sufficiently large cities on I-80 between Youngstown and New York City; Sharon, State College, Scranton, Hazelton, and Paterson are claimed to be of insufficient size or importance to serve as control cities from this part of Ohio. Even so, Youngstown, Ohio is actually closer to New York City than some parts of Western and Upstate New York, although New York City is not listed as a control city at any part of New York State more distant than Albany. INTERSTATE JUNCTIONS JUNCTION EXIT # US-101 CA 1 I-5 CA 86 I-15 UT 120 UT 124 I-84 UT 168 I-25 WY 359 I-76 NE 102 I-29 IA 1A IA 4 I-35 IA 123 IA 137 I-74 IA 298 I-88 IL 4B... Trumbull County is a county located in the state of Ohio. ... Mahoning County is a county located in the state of Ohio. ... A control city is a city or locality posted on a traffic sign indicating forward destinations on a certain route. ... Sharon is a city located in Mercer County, Pennsylvania, in the United States, 75 miles (121 km) northwest of Pittsburgh. ... Downtown State College, during 2005 Centre Festival of the Arts State College, Pennsylvania, is a borough located in Centre County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. ... For other places named Scranton, see Scranton. ... The skyline of Paterson, New Jersey, showing the canyon of the Passaic River in the foreground. ... Motto: Nickname: Map Political Statistics Founded 1614 Incorporated 1686 Albany County Mayor Gerald D. Jennings Geographic Statistics Area  - Total  - Land  - Water 56. ...

Although one of the original thirteen colonies, and situated in the Mid-Atlantic States, Pennsylvania is sometimes referred to as a Midwestern state. However, only the western part of the state, around Pittsburgh shares any culture with the so-called Midwest (and at that, primarily with the aforementioned eastern portions of Ohio). In actuality, even Pittsburgh is a post-industrial, old Eastern/Appalachian city in renaissance. Western Pennsylvania is much more a Rustbelt Region than one attached to the ideals and identity of the Heartland. The eastern half of the state of Pennsylvania, particularly Philadelphia and the Delaware Water Gap region, undoubtedly identifies more with East Coast culture and the Megalopolis. Regional definitions vary from source to source. ... Official language(s) None Capital Harrisburg Largest city Philadelphia Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 33rd 119,283 km² 255 km 455 km 2. ... City nickname: The Steel City Location in the state of Pennsylvania Founded 1758 Mayor Tom Murphy (Dem) Area  - Total  - Water 151. ... Philadelphia is a village located in Jefferson County, New York. ... The Delaware Water Gap is a geologic formation on the border of New Jersey and Pennsylvania, where the Delaware River traverses a large ridge of the Appalachian Mountains. ...

In the West: the prairie parts of Montana, Wyoming, and especially Colorado are sometimes considered part of the Midwest, especially to people in the Great Plains which are closer to the geographic middle of the country, additions as such would be considered incorrect to most people in the Great Lakes region as many people near the Great Lakes don't even consider the Plains states to be the Midwest as much of those states are ranchland. Official language(s) English Capital Helena Largest city Billings Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 4th 381,156 km² 410 km 1,015 km 1 44°26 N to 49° N 104°2 W to 116°2 W Population  - Total (2000)  - Density Ranked 44th 902,195 2. ... Official language(s) English Capital Cheyenne Largest city Cheyenne Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 10th 253,554 km² 450 km 580 km 0. ... Official language(s) English Capital Denver Largest city Denver Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 8th 269 837 km² 451 km 612 km 0. ... The Great Plains is the broad expanse of prairie which lies east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States of America and Canada, covering all or parts of the U.S. states of New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, Montana, South Dakota and North Dakota and the... The Great Lakes from space The Great Lakes are a group of five large lakes on or near the United States-Canadian border. ...

Despite the seemingly obvious boundary that is the Ohio River, the Midwest and South do not have a clear boundary: many people in Kentucky would like to be considered Midwestern and Missouri has much of a Dixie element and has only been considered Midwest as of the 20th Century.

Also, southern Illinois and Indiana are culturally influenced by the Southern centers of Memphis and Louisville. Northern Kentucky, near Cincinnati, is often considered Midwestern to the area's residents. Kentucky, historically, was still a slave state and geographically south of the Ohio River, which has always been the divide between the North and Dixie.

Often people from the Coasts act as if any area that is not near the Ocean or in the Deep South is the Midwest, lumping states like Idaho and Utah into the region. As this would add immense area to the Midwest, not to mention do injustice to the cultural differences that occur in different parts of the nation's interior, this would be incorrect if not insulting. See Middle America. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Geography

These states are generally perceived as being relatively flat. That is true of large areas, but there is a measure of geographical variation. In particular, the eastern midwest lying within the foothills of the Appalachians, and the Great Lakes basin and northern parts of Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa demonstrate a high degree of topographical variety. Prairies cover most of the states west of the Mississippi with the exception of eastern Minnesota and the Ozarks of southern Missouri. Illinois lies within an area called the "prairie peninsula," an eastward extension of prairies that borders deciduous forests to the north, east, and south. Rainfall decreases from east to west, resulting in different types of prairies, with the tallgrass prairie in the wetter eastern region, mixed-grass prairie in the central Great Plains, and shortgrass prairie towards the rain shadow of the Rockies. Today, these three prairie types largely correspond to the corn/soybean area, the wheat belt, and the western rangelands, respectively; virgin hardwood forests were logged of in the late 1800s. The majority of the midwest can now be categorized as urbanized areas or pastoral agriculture. Areas in northern Michigan and Wisconsin, such as the Porcupine Mountains, and the Ohio river valley are largely undeveloped. Ozark redirects here. ... A prairie is an area of land of low topographic relief that principally supports grasses and herbs, with few trees, and is generally of a mesic (moderate or temperate) climate. ... The tallgrass prairie is an ecosystem native to central North America. ... Sydney, Australia at Night. ... A view from the Porcupine Mountains The Porcupine Mountains are group of small mountains spanning across the northwestern Upper Peninsula of Michigan in Ontonagon and Gogebic counties, near the shore of Lake Superior. ...

Among the westernmost states of the Midwest, residents of the wheat belt generally consider themselves part of the Midwest, while residents of the remaining rangeland areas usually do not. Of course, exact boundaries are nebulous and shifting.

History

The Midwest is a cultural crossroads.

Starting in the 1790s, American Revolutionary War veterans and settlers from the original Thirteen Colonies moved there in response to Federal government of the United States land grants. The Ulster-Scots Presbyterians of Pennsylvania (often through Virginia) and the Dutch Reformed, Quaker, and Congregationalists of Connecticut were among the earliest pioneers to Ohio and the Midwest. Combatants American Revolutionaries, France, Netherlands, Spain, allies British Empire, allies Commanders George Washington Comte de Rochambeau Nathanael Greene William Howe Henry Clinton Charles Cornwallis Strength {{{strength1}}} {{{strength2}}} Casualties {{{casualties1}}} {{{casualties2}}} {{{notes}}} The American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), also known as the American War of Independence, was the military component of... Betsy Ross purportedly sewed the first American flag with 13 stars and 13 stripes representing each of the 13 colonies. ... The U.S. Constitution, adopted in 1789 by a constitutional convention, sets down the basic framework of American government in its seven articles. ... A land grant is a gift of land made by the government for projects such as roads, railroads, or especially academic institutions. ... Ulster-Scots is a term mainly used in Ireland and Britain (Scotch-Irish or Scots-Irishis commonly used in North America) primarily to refer to Presbyterian Scots, or their descendents, who migrated from the Scottish Lowlands to Ulster (the northern province of Ireland), largely across the 17th century. ... Presbyterianism is part of the Reformed churches family of denominations of Christian Protestantism based on the teachings of John Calvin which traces its institutional roots to the Scottish Reformation, especially as led by John Knox. ... Official language(s) None Capital Harrisburg Largest city Philadelphia Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 33rd 119,283 km² 255 km 455 km 2. ... Official language(s) English Capital Richmond Largest city Virginia Beach Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 35th 110,862 km² 320 km 690 km 7. ... The Dutch Reformed village church of St. ... The Religious Society of Friends (commonly known as Quakers or Friends) is a loose knit religious or spiritual movement founded in England in the 17th century by people who were dissatisfied with the existing denominations and sects of Christianity. ... Congregational churches are Protestant Christian churches practicing congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its own affairs. ... Official language(s) English Capital Hartford Largest city Bridgeport Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 48th 14,371 km² 113 km 177 km 12. ...

By the time of the American Civil War, European immigrants bypassed the East Coast of the United States to settle directly in the interior: German immigrant Lutherans to Ohio, Wisconsin, Illinois, and eastern Missouri, Swedes and Norwegians to Wisconsin, Minnesota and northern Iowa. Poles, Hungarians, and German Catholics and Jews founded or settled in Midwestern cities. Many German Catholics also settled throughout the Ohio River valley and around the Great Lakes. Combatants United States of America Confederate States of America Commanders Abraham Lincoln Jefferson Davis Strength 1,556,678 (of whom many signed multiple enlistment contracts) 1,064,200 Casualties KIA: 110,100 Total dead: 359,500 Wounded: 275,200 KIA: 74,500 Total dead: 198,500 Wounded: 137,000+  {{{notes... World map showing Europe Europe is conventionally considered one of the seven continents which, in this case, is more a cultural and political distinction than a physiogeographic one. ... Immigration is the act of moving to or settling in another country or region, temporarily or permanently. ... Regional definitions vary from source to source. ... German-Americans are common in the US. Light blue indicates counties that are predominately German ancestry. ... Luthers seal Lutheranism is a Christian tradition committed to the main theological insights of Martin Luther. ... Official language(s) English Capital Jefferson City Largest city Kansas City Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 21st 69,709 mi²; 180,693 km² 240 mi; 385 km 300 mi; 480 km 1. ... Official language(s) None Capital Madison Largest city Milwaukee Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 23rd 169,790 km² 420 km 500 km 17 42°30N to 47°3N 86°49W to 92°54W Population  - Total (2000)  - Density Ranked 18th 5,453,896 38. ... Official language(s) None Capital Saint Paul Largest city Minneapolis Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 12th 225,365 km² 400 km 645 km 8. ... Official language(s) English Capital Des Moines Largest city Des Moines Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 26th 145,743 km² 320 km 500 km 0. ...

In the 20th century, African American migration from the Southern United States into the Midwestern states changed cities dramatically, as factories and schools enticed families by the thousands to new opportunities. An African American (also Afro-American, Black American, or simply black), is a member of an ethnic group in the United States whose ancestors, usually in predominant part, were indigenous to Africa. ... Southern United States. ...

The region's fertile soil made it possible for farmers to produce abundant harvests of cereal crops such as corn, oats, and, most importantly, wheat. In the early days, the region was soon known as the nation's "breadbasket". Cereal crops are mostly grasses cultivated for their edible seeds (actually a fruit called a caryopsis). ... Binomial name Zea mays L. Maize (Zea mays ssp. ... Binomial name Avena sativa Carolus Linnaeus (1753) The Oat (Avena sativa) is a species of cereal grain, and the seeds of this plant. ... Species T. boeoticum T. durum T. monococcum T. spelta References:   ITIS 42236 2002-09-22 Wheat (Triticum spp. ...

Two waterways have been important to the Midwest's development. The first and foremost was the Ohio River which flowed into the Mississippi River. Spanish control of the southern part of the Mississippi, and refusal to allow the shipment of American crops down the river and into the Atlantic Ocean, halted the development of the region until 1795. Ohio River viewed from Liberty Hill in Ripley, Ohio. ... This article is about the river in the United States. ...

The river inspired two classic American books written by a native Missourian, Samuel Clemens, who took the pseudonym Mark Twain: Life on the Mississippi and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Today, Twain's stories have become staples of Midwestern lore. Twain's hometown of Hannibal, Missouri is a tourist attraction in the area offering a glimpse into the Midwest of his time. Mark Twain Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910), better known by his pen name Mark Twain, was a famous American humorist, novelist, writer and lecturer. ... Life on the Mississippi cover Life on the Mississippi is a memoir by Mark Twain detailing his days as a steamboat pilot on the Mississippi River before the American Civil War. ... Huckleberry Finn is the protagonist of Mark Twains famous book, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. ... Hannibal (Americas Hometown) is a city located in Marion and Ralls County, Missouri. ...

The second waterway is the network of routes within the Great Lakes. The opening of the Erie Canal in 1825 completed an all-water shipping route, more direct than the Mississippi, to New York and the seaport of New York City. Lakeport cities grew up to handle this new shipping route. During the Industrial Revolution, the lakes became a conduit for iron ore from the Mesabi Range of Minnesota to steel mills in the Mid-Atlantic States. The Saint Lawrence Seaway later opened the Midwest to the Atlanic Ocean. The Great Lakes from space The Great Lakes are a group of five large lakes on or near the United States-Canadian border. ... Official language(s) None, English de facto Capital Albany Largest city New York City Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 27th 141,205 km² 455 km 530 km 13. ... Nickname: The Big Apple Motto: Official website: City of New York Location [[Image:|250px|250px|Location of City of New York, New York]] Location in the state of New York Government Counties (Boroughs) Bronx (The Bronx) New York (Manhattan) Queens (Queens) Kings (Brooklyn) Richmond (Staten Island) Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R... The Industrial Revolution (more correctly, the First Industrial Revolution) was one of the major technological, socioeconomic and cultural changes in the late 18th and early 19th century resulting from the replacement of an economy based on manual labour to one dominated by industry and machine manufacture. ... This heap of iron ore pellets will be used in steel production. ... The Mesabi Range, also known as the Mesabi Iron Range, is a vast deposit of iron ore in northern Minnesota, and the chief deposit of iron ore in the United States. ... A steel mill at the turn of the century in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania A steel mill (British English and Australian English steelworks) is an industrial plant for the manufacture of steel. ... Regional definitions vary from source to source. ... The Saint Lawrence Seaway in its broadest sense is the system of canals that permits ocean-going vessels to travel from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes as far as Lake Superior. ...

Inland canals in Ohio and Indiana constituted another great waterway, which connected into the Great Lakes and Ohio River traffic.

Because the Northwest Ordinance region, comprising the heart of the Midwest, was the first large region of the United States which prohibited slavery (the Northeastern United States emancipated slaves in the 1830s), the region remains culturally apart from the country and proud of its free pioneer heritage. The regional southern boundary was the Ohio River, the border of freedom and slavery in American history and literature (See: Uncle Tom's Cabin, by Harriet Beecher Stowe; Beloved, by Toni Morrison). The Buxton Memorial Fountain, celebrating the emancipation of slaves in the British Empire in 1834, London. ... Regional definitions vary from source to source. ... Emancipation — Oh, Edwin dear! Heres Tom Jones. ... Uncle Toms Cabin Uncle Toms Cabin is a novel by American abolitionist author Harriet Beecher Stowe which treats slavery as a central theme. ... Harriet Beecher Stowe Harriet Elizabeth Beecher Stowe, born Harriet Elizabeth Beecher (June 14, 1811 – July 1, 1896) was an abolitionist, and writer of more than 10 books, the most famous being Uncle Toms Cabin which describes life in slavery, and which was first published in serial form from 1851... Beloved cover Beloved is a 1987 novel by Toni Morrison about the legacy of slavery. ... Toni Morrison (born February 18, 1931) is one of the most prominent authors in world literature, having won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1993. ...

The region was shaped by the relative absence of slavery (except for Missouri), pioneer settlement, education in one-room free public schools, and democratic notions brought with American Revolutionary War veterans, Protestant faiths and experimentation, and agricultural wealth transported on the Ohio River riverboats, flatboats, canal boats, and railroads. The canals in Ohio and Indiana opened so much of Midwestern agriculture that it launched the world's greatest population and economic boom foreshadowing later "emerging markets". The commodities that the Midwest funneled into the Erie Canal down the Ohio River contributed to the wealth of New York City, which overtook Boston and Philadelphia. New York State would proudly boast of the Midwest as its "inland empire"; thus, New York would become known as the Empire State. Combatants American Revolutionaries, France, Netherlands, Spain, allies British Empire, allies Commanders George Washington Comte de Rochambeau Nathanael Greene William Howe Henry Clinton Charles Cornwallis Strength {{{strength1}}} {{{strength2}}} Casualties {{{casualties1}}} {{{casualties2}}} {{{notes}}} The American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), also known as the American War of Independence, was the military component of... Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ... A first class tourist riverboat High speed planing riverboat High speed hydrofoil riverboat Local passenger transport craft Riverboat specialized for cargo truck transport Self propelled gravel barge M.V. Splendid China layout A riverboat is a specialized watercraft (vessel) designed for operating on inland waterways. ... This is the top-level page of WikiProject trains Rail tracks Rail transport refers to the land transport of passengers and goods along railways or railroads. ... Categories: Water-transport stubs | Canals | Water transport ... The Erie Canal (later replaced by part of the New York State Barge Canal system, which was renamed the Erie Canal) is a canal in New York State, United States, that runs from the Hudson River to Lake Erie, connecting the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean. ... Nickname: The Big Apple Motto: Official website: City of New York Location [[Image:|250px|250px|Location of City of New York, New York]] Location in the state of New York Government Counties (Boroughs) Bronx (The Bronx) New York (Manhattan) Queens (Queens) Kings (Brooklyn) Richmond (Staten Island) Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R... Nickname: City on a Hill, Beantown, The Hub (of the Solar System), Athens of America Motto: Official website: www. ... Nickname: City of Brotherly Love Motto: Philadelphia maneto (Let brotherly love continue) Official website: http://www. ...

The Midwest was predominantly rural at the time of the American Civil War, dotted with small farms across Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, but industrialization, immigration, and urbanization fed the Industrial Revolution, and the heart of industrial progress became the Great Lakes states of the Midwest. German, Scandinavian, Slavic and African American immigration into the Midwest continued to bolster the population there in the 19th and 20th centuries, though generally the Midwest remains a predominantly diverse, Protestant region. Large concentrations of Catholics are found in larger cities like Chicago, Cleveland, and St. Louis because of Irish, Italian, and Polish immigration in the 19th century. Rural area in Dalarna, Sweden Sheep eating grass in rural Australia Rural areas are sparsely settled places away from the influence of large cities and towns. ... Combatants United States of America Confederate States of America Commanders Abraham Lincoln Jefferson Davis Strength 1,556,678 (of whom many signed multiple enlistment contracts) 1,064,200 Casualties KIA: 110,100 Total dead: 359,500 Wounded: 275,200 KIA: 74,500 Total dead: 198,500 Wounded: 137,000+  {{{notes... The Industrial Revolution (more correctly, the First Industrial Revolution) was one of the major technological, socioeconomic and cultural changes in the late 18th and early 19th century resulting from the replacement of an economy based on manual labour to one dominated by industry and machine manufacture. ... The Great Lakes region can refer to: The Great Lakes region of North America The Great Lakes region of Africa This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... For other uses, see Scandinavia (disambiguation). ... // Ethno-cultural subdivisions Slavs are customarily divided into three major subgroups: East Slavs, West Slavs, and South Slavs, each with a somewhat different background. ... An African American (also Afro-American, Black American, or simply black), is a member of an ethnic group in the United States whose ancestors, usually in predominant part, were indigenous to Africa. ... Protestantism is a movement within Christianity, representing a splitting away from the Roman Catholic Church during the mid-to-late Renaissance in Europe —a period known as the Protestant Reformation. ...

Cleveland also has one of the nation's highest Jewish-American populations per capita of all major U.S. cities.

Culture

Midwesterners are alternately viewed as open, friendly, and straightforward, or sometimes stereotyped as unsophisticated and stubborn. Factors that probably affected the shaping of Midwest values include the religious heritage of the Abolitionist pro-education Congregationalists to the stalwart Calvinist heritage of the Midwestern Protestants As well as the agricultural values inculcated by the hardy pioneers who settled the area. The Midwest remains a melting pot of Protestantism and Calvinism, mistrustful of authority and power. Calvinism is a system of Christian theology and an approach to Christian life and thought, articulated by John Calvin, a Protestant Reformer in the 16th century, and subsequently by successors, associates, followers and admirers of Calvin and his interpretation of Scripture. ...

The Bible Belt, some say, starts in the South and ends in the Midwest. In fact, recent religious attendance figures are lowest in the United States in the Industrialized Midwest and in the Southeast, and highest in coastal cities like Boston, New York, and Los Angeles, due to strong Catholic and African American congregations there, and in the Southern and Midwestern strip from Texas to the Dakotas, where socialization in rural communities often starts at church services.^{[citation needed]} Hence the "Bible Belt" going "across the middle of the country" is an archaic description of what is in fact a "Bible strip" going North to South in the Plains, and two "Bible Buckles" on the coasts. The approximate extent of the Bible Belt, indicated in red A Bible Belt is an area in which Evangelical Protestant Christianity is a pervasive or dominant part of the culture. ...

The rural heritage of the land in the Midwest remains widely held, even if industrialization and suburbanization have overtaken the states in the original Northwest Territory. Given the rural, antebellum associations with the Midwest, further rural states like Kansas have become icons of Midwesternism, most directly with the 1939 film, the Wizard of Oz.

Midwestern politics tends to be cautious, but the caution is sometimes peppered with protest, especially in minority communities or those associated with agrarian, labor or populist roots.

Due to 20th-century African American migration from the South, a large African American urban population lives in Cincinnati, Cleveland, Detroit, Chicago, Columbus, Indianapolis, St. Louis, Minneapolis, Toledo, Dayton, and other cities. The combination of industry and cultures, Jazz, Blues, and Rock and Roll, led to an outpouring of musical creativity in the 20th century in the Midwest, including new music like the Motown Sound and techno from Detroit and house music from the south side of Chicago. Rock and Roll music was first identified as a new genre by a Cleveland radio DJ, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is now located in Cleveland. See also Music of the Midwest/Motown, Detroit, 70s Soul Music, Ohio Players, Kool and The Gang, and Dayton. An African American (also Afro-American, Black American, or simply black), is a member of an ethnic group in the United States whose ancestors, usually in predominant part, were indigenous to Africa. ... The Migration - In every town Negroes were leaving by the hundreds to go North and enter into Northern industry Jacob Lawrence, (1940–41) The Great Migration is a term used to describe the mass migration of African Americans from the southern United States to the industrial centers of the Northeast... Nickname: The Queen City Motto: Official website: http://www. ... Nickname: The Forest City Motto: Progress and Prosperity Official website: www. ... Nickname: The Motor City, Motown Motto: Speramus Meliora; Resurget Cineribus (Latin for, We Hope For Better Things; It Shall Rise From the Ashes) Official website: http://www. ... Nickname: The Windy City Motto: Urbs In Horto (Latin: City in a Garden), I Will Official website: http://egov. ... Nickname: The Arch City The Discovery City Motto: Official website: http://www. ... Nickname: Motto: Official website: http://www. ... Nickname: Gateway City, Gateway to the West, or Mound City Motto: Official website: http://stlouis. ... Nickname: City of Lakes Motto: En Avant Official website: http://www. ... Nickname: The Glass City Motto: Official website: http://www. ... Skyline of Dayton from the north, across the Great Miami River. ... For other uses, see Culture (disambiguation). ... Jazz master Louis Armstrong remains one of the most loved and best known of all jazz musicians. ... The blues is a vocal and instrumental form of music based on a pentatonic scale and a characteristic twelve-bar chord progression. ... Rock and roll (also spelled Rock n Roll, especially in its first decade), also called rock, is a form of popular music, usually featuring vocals (often with vocal harmony), electric guitars and a strong back beat; other instruments, such as the saxophone, are common in some styles. ... The Motown Sound is a style of soul music with distinctive characteristics, including the use of tambourine along with drums, bass instrumentation, a distinctive melodical and chord structure, and a call and response singing style originating in gospel music. ... Techno is a form of electronic music that emerged in the mid-1980s and primarily refers to a particular style founded in America with influences from Germany and developed in and around Detroit and subsequently adopted by European producers. ... Motto: Speramus Meliora; Resurget Cineribus (We Hope For Better Things; It Shall Rise From the Ashes - this motto was adopted after the disastrous 1805 fire that devastated the city) Nickname: The Motor City and Motown Location in Wayne County, Michigan Founded Incorporated July 24, 1701 1815  County Wayne County Mayor... House music is a collection of styles of electronic dance music, the earliest forms of which originated in the United States in the early- to mid-1980s. ... Nickname: The Windy City Motto: Urbs In Horto (Latin: City in a Garden), I Will Official website: http://egov. ... Rock and roll (also spelled Rock n Roll, especially in its first decade), also called rock, is a form of popular music, usually featuring vocals (often with vocal harmony), electric guitars and a strong back beat; other instruments, such as the saxophone, are common in some styles. ... The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, showing Lake Erie in the foreground The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum and institution in Cleveland, Ohio, United States, dedicated, as the name suggests, to recording the history of some of the best-known and most influential... The Motown Sound is a style of soul music with distinctive characteristics, including the use of tambourine along with drums, bass instrumentation, a distinctive melodical and chord structure, and a call and response singing style originating in gospel music. ... Nickname: The Motor City, Motown Motto: Speramus Meliora; Resurget Cineribus (Latin for, We Hope For Better Things; It Shall Rise From the Ashes) Official website: http://www. ... Skyline of Dayton from the north, across the Great Miami River. ...

Today, the wealth of the coastal regions and the growth of the Sunbelt have contributed to a sense of unease in the Midwest. The abandonment by many industries of the Midwest, in favor of the South, has led some to refer to the Midwest as the Rust Belt. As the East, South, and West retain colonial memories, the Midwest mainly remembers its American pioneer heritage. The Midwest remains, with the South, a disproportionately large source of servicemembers for the United States military, and remains a thoroughly patriotic and American center. Today the population of the Midwest is 64,482,997. The Rust Belt, highlighted in red The Rust Belt, formerly known as the Manufacturing Belt, is an area in the northeastern and upper midwestern United States, roughly between Chicago and New York City, whose economy was formerly based largely on heavy industry, manufacturing, and associated industries. ... The armed forces of the United States of America consist of the United States Army United States Navy United States Air Force United States Marine Corps United States Coast Guard Note: The United States Coast Guard has both military and law enforcement functions. ...

Though its pioneer, religious, and economic heritage tends toward libertarianism and freedom, its geography in the center of America causes Midwesterners to be disproportionately concerned with the future of the federal government and America in general — East, South, and West. Conversely, the nation looks to the central and centrist Midwest to implicitly solve the inevitable political and geographic arguments of the wide-ranging nation.

Education

Education is another of the region's strongest legacies. The region contains numerous highly-regarded universities, both public and private. For alternate meanings see state university (disambiguation). ...

Public Schools

Notable public schools include The Ohio State University, Miami University, Indiana University Bloomington, Purdue University, Ball State University, University of Wisconsin, Iowa State University, the University of Iowa, the University of Kansas, The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of Michigan, Michigan State University, and University of Minnesota. The Ohio State University is currently the third largest university in the United States and currently ranked by US News and World Report as the best public university in Ohio and the twenty-first best public university in the nation. ... Miami University, founded in 1809, is the second oldest college west of the Allegheny Mountains. ... Indiana University Bloomington is the principal campus of the Indiana University system. ... See also Purdue University System. ... Ball State University is a state-run university in Muncie, Indiana. ... The University of Wisconsin is a public university in the state of Wisconsin. ... Iowa State University (ISU) is a public land-grant university and space-grant university located in Ames, Iowa. ... The University of Iowa is a major national research university located on a 1,900-acre campus in Iowa City, Iowa, USA, on the Iowa River in East Central Iowa. ... The University of Kansas (often referred to as just KU or Kansas) is an institution of higher learning located in Lawrence, Kansas. ... The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, also known as UIUC and the U of I (the officially preferred abbreviation), is the flagship campus in the University of Illinois system. ... This article is about the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. ... Michigan State University (MSU) is a public university in East Lansing, Michigan. ... University of Minnesota Twin Cities This article is about the oldest and largest campus of the University of Minnesota. ...

Private Schools

Many Midwestern educational institutions got their start in the 1800s as denominational religious schools. Notable private institutions include the best-known Catholic university in the United States, the University of Notre Dame; Northwestern University; and the University of Chicago, with which more Nobel Prize winners have been affiliated than with any other university in the world except Cambridge in the UK. A cluster of top-ranking liberal arts colleges in the Midwest include Marquette University, the University of Evansville, Oberlin College, Carleton College, Macalester College, DePauw University, Grinnell College, Kenyon College, Knox College, Ohio Wesleyan University, Denison University, The College of Wooster and Earlham College. The term denomination can refer to: A religious denomination A unit of currency (See Denomination (currency)) A naming. ... A seminary is a specialized university-like institution for the purpose of instructing students in religion, often in order to prepare them to become members of the clergy. ... The University of Notre Dame is a leading Roman Catholic institution of higher learning located immediately northeast of South Bend, Indiana, United States. ... Northwestern University is a private, coeducational, non-sectarian university, located in Evanston, Illinois and Chicago, Illinois. ... The University of Chicago is a private university primarily located in the Hyde Park community of Chicago, Illinois, founded in 1890 and opened in 1892. ... Sir Edward Appletons medal Photographs of Nobel Prize Medals. ... The University of Cambridge is the second-oldest university in the English-speaking world, with one of the most selective sets of entry requirements in the United Kingdom. ... A liberal arts college is an institution of higher education found in the United States, offering programs in the liberal arts at the post-secondary level. ... Marquette University is a private, coeducational, Jesuit, Roman Catholic university in the United States. ... The University of Evansville (UE) is a small (approximately 2400 students), private University located in Evansville, Indiana. ... Oberlin College is a small but very highly respected liberal arts college in Oberlin, Ohio. ... Skinner Memorial Chapel, Carleton College Carleton College is an independent, non-sectarian, coeducational, liberal arts college in Northfield, Minnesota, USA. Carleton was founded on November 14, 1866, by the Minnesota Conference of Congregational Churches as Northfield College. ... Macalester College is a privately supported coeducational liberal arts college in Saint Paul, Minnesota. ... Founded in 1837, DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, is a selective private liberal arts college with a 2002 enrollment of 2,339. ... Grinnell College is a liberal arts college in Grinnell, Iowa, USA. It was founded on June 10, 1846, when a group of transplanted New England Congregationalists with strong social-reformer backgrounds organized themselves as the Trustees of Iowa College. ... Kenyon College is a private liberal arts college in Gambier, Ohio, founded in 1824 by Bishop Philander Chase of the The Episcopal Church. ... Knox College is a four-year coeducational private liberal arts college located in Galesburg, Illinois. ... Ohio Wesleyan University (also Wesleyan or OWU, pronounced oh-WOO) is a private coeducational liberal arts college located in Delaware, Ohio. ... Denison University is a private liberal arts and sciences college in Granville, Ohio, approximately 30 miles (50 km) east of Columbus. ... The College of Wooster is a liberal arts college primarily known for its Independent Study program. ... Earlham College is a national, selective Quaker liberal arts college in Richmond, Indiana. ...

Youngstown State University is home to the original American Center for Working-Class Studies, not to metion one of the oldest and most prestigious non-conservatory schools of music in the United States (The Dana School of Music). Youngstown State University founded in 1908 is a university located in Youngstown, Ohio. ...

Political trends

The Midwest gave birth to one of America's two major political parties, the Republican Party, which was formed in the 1850s and included opposition to the spread of slavery into new states as one of its agendas. The rural Midwest is a Republican stronghold to this day. Hamilton County, the home of Cincinnati, is one of the few urban counties in America which has voted predominantly Republican at the close of the 20th century. From the Civil War to the Depression and World War II, Midwestern Republicans dominated American politics and industry, just as Southern Democrat planters dominated antebellum rural America and as Northeastern financiers and academics in the Democratic party would dominate America from the Depression to the Vietnam War and the height of the Cold War. The Republican Party, often called the GOP (for Grand Old Party, although one early citation described it as the Gallant Old Party) [1], is one of the two major political parties in the United States. ... The Buxton Memorial Fountain, celebrating the emancipation of slaves in the British Empire in 1834, London. ... Combatants Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam) United States of America South Korea Thailand Australia New Zealand the Philippines Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam) National Liberation Front (Viet Cong) Commanders Strength ~1,200,000 (1968) ~420,000 (1968) Casualties South Vietnamese dead: 1,250,000+ US dead: 58,226 US... For the generic term for high-tension and / or indirect struggle between states, falling short of actual open hostilities, see cold war (war). ...

In some upper midwestern states, such as Illinois and Minnesota, the story is quite different. Illinois is currently dominated heavily by the Democratic Party, and has preferred the Democratic presidential candidate in the past 5 elections (1988, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004). Minnesota was actually the only state among the 50 states of the U.S. to vote for Walter Mondale over Ronald Reagan in 1984. (Although Washington D.C. also voted for Mondale.) Official language(s) English Capital Springfield Largest city Chicago Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 25th 149,998 km² 340 km 629 km 4. ... Official language(s) None Capital Saint Paul Largest city Minneapolis Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 12th 225,365 km² 400 km 645 km 8. ... The Democratic Party is one of two major political parties in the United States, the other one being the Republican Party. ... Walter Frederick Fritz Mondale (born January 5, 1928) an American politician and member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party. ... Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was the 40th President of the United States (1981–1989) and the 33rd Governor of California (1967–1975). ...

Youngstown, Ohio (Little Chicago/The Hoboken of Ohio) has remained a Democratic and cultural microcosm throughout history. It is the birthplace of James Traficant. The city just elected its first African-American mayor Independent Jay Williams, who is the first non-Democratic mayor the city has seen in over 80 years. Youngstown is a city located in Mahoning and Trumbull counties in Ohio, on the Mahoning River, 67 miles southeast of Cleveland, Ohio. ... James Anthony Jim Traficant, Jr. ...

Cleveland, Ohio was the first major U.S. city to elect a Black mayor (Stokes).

From Buffalo to Cincinnati, the middle-eastern U.S. is the heart of the historic Underground Railroad. Map of some Underground Railroad routes This page is about the slave escape route. ...

Around the turn of the 20th century, the region also spawned the Populist Movement in the Plains states and later the Progressive Movement, which largely consisted of farmers and merchants intent on making government less corrupt and more receptive to the will of the people. The Republicans were unified anti-slavery politicians, whose later interests in invention, economic progress, women's rights and suffrage, freedman's rights, progressive taxation, wealth creation, election reforms, temperance and prohibition eventually clashed with the Taft-Roosevelt split in 1912. Similarly, the Populist and Progressive Parties grew out intellectually from the economic and social progress claimed by the early Republican party. The Protestant and Midwestern ideals of profit, thrift, work ethic, pioneer self-reliance, education, democratic rights, and religious tolerance, which influenced both parties despite thier eventual drift into opposing parties. Populism is a political philosophy or rhetorical style which holds that the common persons interests are oppressed or hindered by the elite in society, and that the instruments of the state need to be grasped from this self-serving elite and used for the benefit and advancement of the... Progressivism is a political philosophy whose adherents promote public policies that they believe would lead to positive social change. ... A patent is a set of exclusive rights granted by a state to a person for a fixed period of time in exchange for the regulated, public disclosure of certain details of a device, method, process or composition of matter (substance) (known as an invention) which is new, inventive, and... Economics (from the Greek οίκος [oikos], house, and νομος [nomos], rule, hence household management) is a social science that studies the production, distribution, trade and consumption of goods and services. ... The term womens rights typically refers to the legal rights of women which pertains to the social and human rights of women. ... The Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands, popularly known as the Freedmens Bureau or (mistakenly) the Freedmans Bureau, was an agency of the government of the United States that was formed to aid distressed refugees of the United States Civil War, including former slaves and poor white... A progressive tax, or graduated tax, is a tax that is larger as a percentage of income for those with larger incomes. ... Wealth is an abundance of items of economic value, or the state of controlling or possessing such items, and encompasses money, real estate and personal property. ... An election is a decision making process whereby people vote for preferred political candidates or parties to act as representatives in government. ... A Temperance Movement (see definition of temperance) attempts to greatly reduce the amount of alcohol consumed or even prohibit its production and consumption entirely. ... Prohibition agents destroying barrels of alcohol. ... William Howard Taft (September 15, 1857 – March 8, 1930) was an American politician, the 27th President of the United States, and the 10th Chief Justice of the United States. ... Theodore Roosevelt (born Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ... The Populist Party was a short-lived political party in late 19th century in the United States. ... The United States Progressive Party refers to three distinct political parties in 20th-century United States politics. ... Protestantism is a movement within Christianity, representing a splitting away from the Roman Catholic Church during the mid-to-late Renaissance in Europe —a period known as the Protestant Reformation. ... Profit is a positive return made on an investment by an individual or by business operations. ... Democracy (from Greek δημοκρατία (demokratia), δημος (demos) the common people + κρατειν (kratein) to rule + the suffix ία (ia), literally the common people rule) is a system where the population of a society controls the government. ...

Perhaps because of their geographic location and heritage of pioneers and Revolutionary War veterans, many Midwesterners have been sometime adherents of Washington's ideal of isolationism, the belief that Americans should not concern themselves with foreign wars and problems. Protectionism was also promoted by Midwestern politicians to protect native industry from free trade. Other Midwesterners, though, led to America greater internationalism, and eventually, belief in free trade. In the current era, Midwesterners wrestle with free trade beliefs along with protecting industrial jobs. The decline of industry in the Midwest led to the "Rust Belt" era when productivity stagnated and employment declined. The loss of jobs among union households and the plight of the unemployed in the inner cities in the Midwest led to greater demands to protect jobs. Combatants American Revolutionaries, France, Netherlands, Spain, allies British Empire, allies Commanders George Washington Comte de Rochambeau Nathanael Greene William Howe Henry Clinton Charles Cornwallis Strength {{{strength1}}} {{{strength2}}} Casualties {{{casualties1}}} {{{casualties2}}} {{{notes}}} The American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), also known as the American War of Independence, was the military component of... A veteran refers to a person who is experienced in a particular area, particularly referring to people in the armed forces. ... International Relations Theory Realism Liberalism Idealism Neoconservatism Institutionalism Functionalism Marxism Critical theory Isolationism Isolationism is a foreign policy which combines a non-interventionist military and political policy with a policy of economic nationalism (protectionism). ... Protectionism is the economic policy of protecting a nations manufacturing base from the effects of foreign competition (such as including Dumping) by means of high tariffs on imported goods, restrictive quotas, and other means of reducing importation. ... Internationalism is a political movement which advocates a greater economic and political cooperation between nations for the benefit of all. ... Free trade is an economic concept referring to the selling of products between countries without tariffs or other trade barriers. ... The Rust Belt, highlighted in red The Rust Belt, formerly known as the Manufacturing Belt, is an area in the northeastern and upper midwestern United States, roughly between Chicago and New York City, whose economy was formerly based largely on heavy industry, manufacturing, and associated industries. ... Dorothea Langes Migrant Mother depicts destitute pea pickers in California during the Great Depression. ...

Linguistic influence

The accents of the region are generally distinct from those of the American Northeast and South. They are considered by many to be "standard" American English (known as General American or Standard Midwestern) and are preferred by many national radio and television broadcasters. Prominent broadcast personalities - such as Walter Cronkite, Johnny Carson, Tom Brokaw, John Madden and Casey Kasem - came from this region and so influenced this perception. In addition, a National Geographic magazine article (11/98) attributed the high number of telemarketing firms in Omaha, Nebraska to the "neutral accents" of the area's inhabitants. However, in some regions, particularly the farther North into the Upper Midwest one goes, a definite accent is detectable, usually reflecting the heritage of the area. For example, Minnesota and Wisconsin both have a strong Scandinavian accent, which intensifies the farther north one goes. Parts of Michigan have noticeable Dutch-flavored accents. Also, residents of Chicago are recognized to have their own distinctive nasally accent which adds to the uniqueness of the city. A similar accent is sensed throughout some parts of Michigan, Cleveland, and Western New York State. The sounds may have arguably dervived from heavy Eastern European influences in the Great Lakes Region. General American is a notional accent of American English based on speech patterns common in the Midwest of the United States and those used by many American network television broadcasters. ... Walter Cronkite Walter Leland Cronkite, Jr. ... Johnny Carson For the article about the Erskine College president, see Dr. John Carson John William Johnny Carson (October 23, 1925 – January 23, 2005) was an American actor, comedian and writer best known for his iconic status as the host of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. ... Tom Brokaw Thomas John Brokaw (born February 6, 1940) is a television journalist and the former NBC News anchorman and managing editor of the program NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw. ... There are a number of noted individuals named John Madden: John Madden is a American football coach and football announcer. ... Casey Kasem (born Kemal Amin Kasem on April 27, 1932, in Detroit, Michigan) is an American radio personality and voice actor of Druze Lebanese extraction. ... The National Geographic Society was founded in the USA on January 27, 1888, by 33 men interested in organizing a society for the increase and diffusion of geographical knowledge. ... The Upper Midwest is a region of the United States with no universally agreed-upon boundary, but it always lies within the US Census Bureaus definition of the Midwest and the states of Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin, as well as at least the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. ... Official language(s) None Capital Saint Paul Largest city Minneapolis Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 12th 225,365 km² 400 km 645 km 8. ... Official language(s) None Capital Madison Largest city Milwaukee Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 23rd 169,790 km² 420 km 500 km 17 42°30N to 47°3N 86°49W to 92°54W Population  - Total (2000)  - Density Ranked 18th 5,453,896 38. ... Scandinavian can mean: a resident of, or anything relating to Scandinavia any North Germanic language a chess opening, Scandinavian Defense the aviation corpotation Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Official language(s) English de-facto Capital Lansing Largest city Detroit Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 11th 96,889 mi² 250,941 km² 239 miles 385 km 491 miles 790 km 41. ... Chicago (officially named the City of Chicago) is the third largest city in the United States (after New York City and Los Angeles), with an official population of 2,896,016, as of the 2000 census. ...

See also

• List of regions of the United States
• List of Midwestern cities by size
• Midwestern cuisine

This list of regions of the United States includes official (governmental) and non-official areas within the borders of the United States, not including U.S. states, the federal district of Washington, D.C. or standard subentities such as cities or counties. ... Cities in the Midwestern United States with over 10000 inhabitants, as of the final United States 2000 Census figures: 1. ... Midwestern cuisine in the United States features simple dishes such as pot roast, sausage, scrapple, pancakes and other comfort foods. ...

This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... This list of regions of the United States includes official (governmental) and non-official areas within the borders of the United States, not including U.S. states, the federal district of Washington, D.C. or standard subentities such as cities or counties. ... The Central United States is a bridge region between the Eastern United States and Western United States. ... States that have an Ocean/Gulf of Mexico coastline are shown in red, and states that have a Great Lake coastline are shown in pink. ... Regional definitions vary from source to source. ... Red shows states east of the Mississippi River, pink shows states not fully eastern or western The U.S. Eastern states are the states east of the Mississippi River. ... Regional definitions vary from source to source. ... States that border the Gulf of Mexico are shown in red. ... Regional definitions vary from source to source. ... The Midwest is a common name for a region of the United States of America. ... The Mountain States form one of the nine geographic divisions within the United States which are officially recognized by that countrys census bureau. ... First Flag of New England, 1686-c. ... The Northern United States or simply The North, is a region in the United States of America. ... Regional definitions vary from source to source. ... Regional definitions vary from source to source. ... The Pacific States form one of the nine geographic divisions within the United States that are officially recognized by that countrys census bureau. ... Southern United States. ... The South Atlantic States form one of the nine divisions within the United States that are formally recognized by that countrys census bureau. ... Red states show the core of the South Central, states shown as pink may or may not be included in the South Central, and thus their inclusion or exclusion varies from source to source. ... Regional definitions vary from source to source. ... The Southwestern United States or simply the Southwest is a region of the United States that is drier in weather than the adjoining Southern United States and Western United States; the population is less dense and, with moderate Mexican and American Indian components, more ethnically varied than neighboring areas. ... The Upper Midwest is a region of the United States with no universally agreed-upon boundary, but it always lies within the US Census Bureaus definition of the Midwest and the states of Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin, as well as at least the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. ... The states shown striped may or may not be considered part of the informal western United States today. ... In general, the term West Coast is a nickname for the coastal states of the Western United States, comprising California, Oregon and Washington, and sometimes Alaska and Hawaii (see Pacific States). ... International Border states are shown in red on this map International Border states are states in the United States that share an international border with another country. ... The Great Lakes states are colored red in this map. ... The Great Plains is the broad expanse of prairie which lies east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States of America and Canada, covering all or parts of the U.S. states of New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, Montana, South Dakota and North Dakota and the... Darker red states are always part of the Pacific Northwest. ...

References

1. ^ "New York in Ohio." Roadfan.com website, retrieved December 23, 2005.