In this unit, the fifty states have been grouped into four regions. Each region has geographical, historical, and political significance. The regions you will study in this section are the Northeast and the South.
As you study the history and geography of each region, you might ask yourself these questions:
- How do the physical features of the land affect agriculture, industry, transportation, and living patterns?
- What effect does the climate have on agriculture, industry, transportation, and living patterns?
- What are the natural resources of the region, and how are they used?
- How were the important historical events affected by the geography of the region?
Deciduous: Trees that lose their leaves in the fall.
Fishing banks: A shallow place in the ocean where fish feed.
Growing season: The time between the last killing frost in the spring and the first killing frost in the fall.
Textile: Cloth.
Wood pulp: Wood that is ground into a thick liquid and used to make paper and paper products.
The Northeast was one of the first areas of the United States to be explored by Europeans. The Vikings explored parts of this region over one thousand years ago. Later, Cabot sailed along the eastern coast and claimed the area around New York for the Dutch and named it New Netherlands. New Netherlands remained a Dutch colony until 1664. At that time, it became an English colony under the direction of the Duke of York.
New Netherlands angered the English because it was a center of illegal trade. American colonists could avoid English regulations and taxes by shipping goods through New Netherlands. King Charles of England offered New Netherlands to his brother James, the Duke of York, if James could conquer it. The people of New Netherlands were not willing to fight because they could see little difference between Dutch rule and English rule. James was able to conquer the colony without a fight. He then named it for himself, the Duke of York.
The states in the Northeast region are Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont. The Northeast region is divided into two smaller sections, the New England states (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont) and the Mid Atlantic states (Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Maryland). Washington, D.C., our nation's capital, is also considered a part of the Northeast.
Geography of the Northeast. The natural landforms in the Northeast are the Atlantic Coastal Plain, the Appalachian Highlands, and other lowlands. There is evidence that glaciers once covered the northeastern United States. The glaciers moved southward carrying tons of rock and scraping away the soil in some places. They rounded the tops of mountains and dug holes into the rocky ground. When the glaciers retreated, the big holes retained water and became lakes. In New England, the glaciers scoured the land and left the soil rough, rocky, and thin.
The largest lakes in this area are Lake Champlain between Vermont and New York, Moosehead Lake in Maine, and Winnepesaukee Lake in New Hampshire. Two of the Great Lakes, Erie and Ontario, are also in this region.
Important rivers in the region are the Connecticut, Hudson, Mohawk, Susquehanna, and Paucatuck. The coastline in this region is rough and rocky and has many small bays and inlets. Three large bays are the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland, the Delaware Bay, and the New York Bay. Islands and peninsulas are also found along this coastline. Long Island in New York is one of the best-known islands. Cape Cod in Massachusetts and Mount Desert Island in Maine are peninsulas.
Much of the land area in the Northeast is highlands. The mountain ranges include the Adirondack, the Allegheny, the Catskill, the Green, and the White mountain ranges. Between these ranges lie valleys where many farms are located. Other farms are on the inland plain area in western New York and northwestern Pennsylvania. The Erie-Ontario Lowland lies to the south of these two Great Lakes. The famous Niagara Falls is between the lakes.
Climate. The climate in the Northeast varies from place to place. The climate in any area is affected primarily by (1) the distance from the equator, (2) the distance from a large body of water, and (3) the altitude.
Through most of the Northeast the weather is cool in the fall. The cool weather triggers a reaction in the trees that makes the leaves of deciduous trees turn bright colors before they fall to the ground. The Northeast is famous for the beauty of the trees in autumn. In the winter, heavy snow falls in the highlands and on the interior plain. The weather can be very cold, and the snow may stay on the ground all winter. People come to the mountains to ski and snowmobile.
