U.S.Geography

By Mike Feenstra, Jerry Kuiper, ed.

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Acknowledgements

Without the help of many people, this project would not be possible. First, we thank our Heavenly Fatherfor His sustaining grace throughout this project. We also thank the following:

Deb Kuiper, the TED Committee, and the Federation Board for all of their work

Ryan Van Overloop who gave encouragement to the author to continue in the work

The Board of PRCS in Dyer, IN for permitting the use of chapters as a pilot project

The Board of Hope PRCS in Walker, MI for permitting the use of chapters as a pilot project

Rick Veldman who helped on maps

Numerous saints who gave encouragement and helpful comments

The students of PRCS in Dyer, IN and Hope PRCS in Walker, MI

The author thanks the editor for his work

Printed October 2011By Mike FeenstraJerry Kuiper, editor

Table of ContentsChapter 1 - Introduction Page 4

Chapter 2 - New England States Page 22

Chapter 3 - Middle Atlantic States Page 41

Chapter 4 - South Middle Atlantic States Page 56

Chapter 5 - Southeast States Page 72

Chapter 6 - Great Lakes States Page 91

Chapter 7 - East South Central States Page 109

Chapter 8 - Plains States Page 131

Chapter 9 - West South Central States Page 157

Chapter 10 - Mountains States Page 177

Chapter 11 - Pacific States Page 205

Introduction

As Christians, we are thankful for the freedomthat we have in the United States. While manyof God’s people throughout the world sufferunder persecution, we can worship God inchurch, go to a Christian school, and live theChristian life in our homes without the fear thatthe government will attempt to stop us. In thisbook we will learn about all 50 states whichmake up the United States of America. As wewill see in the next chapters, our country beganwith the signing of the Declaration ofIndependence. We celebrate that independenceeach year on July 4.

The “geo” in geography means “earth”, and the“graph” means “to write.” The subject can bedivided into five different ideas. First, we wantto learn how to find places on the earth. Second,we want to find out what places on the earthlook like. Third, we want to find out about howpeople use the earth in the place where they live.Fourth, we want to study the movement ofpeople and goods from place to place. Finally,we want to learn about the regions (areas) ofour country.

Finding Places on the Earth

Globes and Maps of the Earth

The United States is one of many countries onthe earth. Do you know where it is on a map?A map is a much smaller drawing of a biggerplace on the earth. The best map of the earth isa globe because it can show the correct shapeand size of continents and oceans in the rightscale. No flat map can picture the earth better,because a globe is a sphere (a circular ball) justlike the earth.

What Makes Up a Map?

A map has many parts to it. In order to knowthe purpose of the map, you first need to lookat its title. Then, it is important to find the maplegend (or key) to help you understand whatthe symbols on the map mean. For example, whatis a small green square on the map of Georgia?If you look at the legend on the top right youwill find out that it is a state park. What is astar with a circle around it? You will find that itis a state capital.

IntroductionChapter One

What is Geography?

The title of this textbook is United StatesGeography. Geography means to study andwrite about the earth and how the people use it.

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Reformed Worldview Perspective: In ourtextbook, there will be black boxes thatsay "Reformed Worldview Perspective."These big words just mean this: How arewe called to live and think as ReformedChristians in the United States? Forexample, do we believe the Declarationof Independence when it states thatprivate citizens have the right to rebel?We know from Scripture in Romans 13that the answer to this is that we maynever rebel. We may disobey an ungodlygovernment when they command us tosin, but we are always called to submitto the government. We will see manymore examples of questions like thisthroughout the book.

and southeast. These are called inter-cardinaldirections. How do we get the word“northeast?” First, you will see that northeastis directly between north and east. Also, becausenorth is at the top of the map, we have alwayscalled it “northeast” and not “eastnorth.” Whatdirection is La Grange from Atlanta?

Introduction

Every map has a compass rose, or a figure thatshows the directions. Most maps have northfacing the top of the page. On our map ofGeorgia we see dark spikes for the cardinaldirections: north, south, east, and west. Alsoon the map are northwest, northeast, southwest,

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Grids, Latitude, and Longitude

How does GPS find things on the map? Thewhole computer process is difficult tounderstand, but to put it simply, GPS marks aspot where latitude and longitude lines meet.It is similar to a grid that you use to play somegames. Look at the map of Georgia on page 5.How could you tell where La Grange, Georgiais? One way is to use a grid of squares. On our

A map is only a picture of what is really on theearth. A good map will show everything perfectlyto scale. A scale compares distances on a mapwith distances in the real world. Notice the threemaps of Acadia National Park on this page. Themap on the top is pictured from far up in thesky. Every inch on that map stands for 1,000miles. About how far is Milwaukee from AcadiaNational Park? The middle map is closer up.How far is it from Lewiston to Augusta, Maine?You will see that on this scale one inch is 100miles in real life. Now notice the bottom map.It is the closest of the three, so that it’s almostas if you are zooming in with a microscope.What is the scale on this close map? Moderncomputer programs allow us to zoom in just likeon these maps.

Introduction

Reformed Worldview Perspective: TheInternet allows us to show maps ofanywhere on the earth in an instant. AGlobal Positioning System (GPS) usessatellites in space to show a map of theearth right in front of a driver. Acomputerized voice can even tell thedriver where to turn. People can zoomin and out on any map. Not that manyyears ago, everyone had to use papermaps to find their way around. But ourworld is changing rapidly, so that now aperson can see his own house on anycomputer in the world. Discuss in classhow computer maps can be used forgood.

map there are 25 squares. There are fivecolumns marked one through five, and there arefive rows marked A through E. La Grange is inthe B row and the 1 column; therefore, it is inB-1. La Grange is also near a place where twoblue lines mark a spot. One line is labeled 33degrees N while the other is 85 degrees W. Wecall these the coordinates that find the city ofLa Grange.

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How do we get these numbers of latitude andlongitude? First, we divide the earth into halvesor hemispheres. One way we can split the earthinto two parts is at the equator which is a linethat divides the world into the Northern andSouthern Hemispheres. The NorthernHemisphere contains North America, Europe,Asia, Africa, and some of South America.Australia, Antarctica, and parts of Africa andSouth America are found in the SouthernHemisphere. Look at the graph named“Latitude Lines”. Notice the Equator is 0degrees, and then all the lines increase in numberaway from the Equator until you reach the 90degree points at the North and South Poleswhich are located at the “top” and “bottom” ofthe globe.. Each of these lines is called a parallelbecause latitude lines (which are really circleson a globe) never touch each other. Look at theparallel of New York. It is 40 degrees N, because

Introduction

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of Cancer (about 23 degrees N) and the Tropicof Capricorn (about 23 degrees S). At anypoint from these tropic lines to the Equator, thesun can appear directly overhead at some timein the year. Finally the Arctic Circle (about 66degrees N) and the Antarctic Circle (about 66degrees S) are special latitude parallels that marka special event. If you are at any place insidethese circles to the poles, it is possible for thesun to never set. That seems pretty surprisingthat the sun could never set, but remember thatthe sun does not get very high in the sky either.

What Do Places on the Earth LookLike?

Geography is interested in the shapes of the landwhich are called landforms. Major landformsthat we will study are mountains, plains, andcoastal plains. In order to better learn aboutwhat the land looks like, we need to ask some

it is on the 40 degree line in the orange (and notthe green because green is 40 degrees S).

Second, we can divide the earth into two halvesat the Prime Meridian (which is called theInternational Date Line on the opposite sideof the earth). Look at the graph called “Easternand Western Hemispheres” to see how the earthis split from top to bottom. Now, look at themap named “Longitude Lines”. Notice that thePrime Meridian is 0 degrees. All the lines thatgo away from the Prime Meridian increase invalue until they reach 180 degrees at theInternational Date Line. All the longitude linesgo through the North and South Poles, whichmake them totally unlike the latitude lines whichare parallel. On this map one longitude line iscalled a meridian. What meridian is New Yorkon? It is on the 75 degrees W line because it isin the green section located west of the PrimeMeridian.

Therefore, the coordinates of New York are 40degrees N, 75 degrees W (latitude numbers arealways named first). How do you rememberwhat latitude is? One way is to say the word“latitude”, and notice that the first part soundsjust like “ladder”. Latitude lines are just likethe rungs of a ladder, and each line is a rung.Another way is to remember that since “north”and “longitude” both have an “o” in them, youcan remember that longitude lines go up anddown.

Let’s practice using latitude and longitude. Onthe World Map of latitude and longitude, whatwould be the coordinates for Cairo, Egypt? Onthe same map, what United States city is at 30degrees N, 90 degrees W?

Other Special Lines and Points

In addition to the Equator, there are six otherplaces on the world map that you should know.At the top and the bottom of the globe are theNorth Pole and South Pole which we mentioned.Two latitude lines of importance are the Tropic

Introduction

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Introduction

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there). The opposite of sparse is crowded, andthese areas on the map are shown in navy. Thekey says that greater than 6000 people live in asquare mile here. These crowded city areashave many people living in houses and apartmentbuildings that are close to each other. Populationmaps are important because they can helpbusiness and government. For example, a largecompany would probably build a store near anavy colored area because more people wouldcome to buy products.

These three types of maps are only a few amongmany different kinds that show what the earthlooks like. Students can use many maps at onceto learn important facts about states. Forexample, we noticed on the elevation map thatthe Adirondack Mountains are in the northeastpart of New York. It makes sense that northeastNew York is light yellow on the population mapbecause mountainous areas normally aresparsely populated.

How Do People Use the Earth inthe Place Where They Live?

Studying geography shows how people use theearth in the place where they live. In this book,we will have many sections on the farming, theresources, and the industry of different states.

Farming is a very important use of land becausepeople need to eat and have clothing. Yearsago, many people were needed to work on a farmbecause tractors had not yet been invented. Nowwe have tractors and other pieces of farmingequipment so that one farmer can maintain largepieces of land. Therefore, while few people arefarmers today, the crops that they raise are veryimportant for the life of the people in ourcountry. We will learn the major crops of eachstate and why they grow those crops. Forexample, we will learn that farmers in thesouthern states grow cotton because cottonneeds the long southern summers in order togrow. Or, we will learn that the farmers andranchers in the Mountain States often raise cattle

good questions. Is the land a dry area? Can youfind forests and mountains? Can you findpeople? What is the population of the area?

Many of these questions are answered using themaps in this book. The three main types ofmaps are the political maps, the elevation maps,and the population maps.

A political map shows the location and shapeof states and countries. Usually each state orcountry has a different color so that studentscan easily see the difference. Look at the politicalmap on page 20-21 and you will see that NewYork is yellow and Pennsylvania is pink. Thistype of map also has major cities and capitals.Do you see the legend on page 21? The capitalcities are shown as stars. Political maps oftenshow major rivers and bodies of water.

Elevation maps show how high or low the landis. On page 19, the elevation map has differentshades of green and brown. Green means low,and brown or orange shows that the land is high.Notice that the mountains in northeastern NewYork reach the elevation of about 5000 feetaccording to the key on the top of the map.These maps also show rivers and bodies ofwater. Elevation maps are important becausefarms are usually located in valleys and not onmountain tops. When the government buildsroads, workers need to know the elevation ofthe land. They can’t easily build a major highwayright over a mountain. What is another waypeople may use elevation maps?

If you are studying where people live then youneed a population map like the one of NewYork on page 44. The legend on the bottomleft shows different colors from light yellow tonavy. Light yellow means that only one to oneperson or less lives in a square mile (a largesquare with sides that are each one mile).Discuss in class about how large a square mileis in your area. Then you can see that if onlyone person or less lives in a square mile, thearea is sparsely populated (few people live

Introduction

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Introduction

Western New Mexico has many areas that are sparsely populated desertareas. Notice on the map on page 180 that western New Mexico is colorcoded light yellow or light green.

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government and police are interested in theanswer because they want the road to be safe.Geography is important to them; they may evenhave a map of the schools in the area so theycan watch for crime.

because there is little water in those states.Because grass and other plants can grow in adrier climate, ranching makes sense.

We will also study the natural resources of manystates. When we talk about natural resourcesin this book, we learn that they are valuablematerials that are in the earth “naturally” (theyoccur without the work of man). We know thatGod creates all natural resources. He makesthe clouds that give us rain so that we havewater. In the beginning, God created theprecious minerals that companies mine today inthe western states. Some examples are gold,silver, copper, lumber, water, or coal. Sometimesit is difficult to know if something is a naturalresource. Some people do not want to describelumber as a natural resource because peopleoften plant trees on a tree farm which producesthe lumber. Also, we know that fish aresometimes considered a natural resource, but atother times they are said to be a farming product.How can you explain this?

Man has developed many ways to use the earthto make products that help people. We call thisindustry. While farming is an industry, weconsider it in a special section of each chapter.Industry also refers to the jobs people have. Menwork to make money in order to live. Forexample, in the industry sections of this bookwe will talk about steel factories, hospitals,computer companies, and many other businesses.The people in some states in our country makemuch money per year, while other people arepoorer. When we talk about how much moneypeople make, we are talking about the economyof a state.

The Movement of People andGoods From Place to Place

Connections and movement are very importantto the study of geography. For example, youprobably rode in a car or bus to school thismorning. From what city did you come and whatroad did you take to get to school? The

Transportation and Communication

Transportation is not only the movement ofpeople, but it can also mean the movement ofproducts between two areas. Over the years,different inventions have been used fortransportation. Over one hundred fifty yearsago, horse-drawn carts carried goods from townto town, taking many days or weeks. Then trainscarried goods across the country in only a fewdays. Then, in the early 1900s, companies beganusing trucks to deliver their products. Todayairplanes allow us to bring goods from place toplace in one day.

Included in the study of geography is the studyof communication, which is the passing ofinformation from person to person. When ourcountry began, letters traveled by horse-drawncarriage. During the 1860s, the Pony Expresscarried mail to the west coast. Soon after that,the invention of the telegraph allowed peopleto communicate using the dots and dashes ofthe Morse code. In 1876 the telephone wasinvented so that people could talk to each other

Introduction

Reformed Worldview Perspective: TheReformed Christian believes 1 Timothy4:4-5 which says, “For every creature ofGod is good, and nothing to be refused,if it be received with thanksgiving: for itis sanctified by the word of God andprayer.” Only true Christians (the elect)can use the creation in thanksgivingbecause God has given them faith.Those who are not God’s people (thereprobate) cannot use the creation toplease God because God does not givethem faith. Discuss how we can workwith God’s creation in a thankful way.

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Introduction

This forest is in western Oregon. Note that part of the hillside in the distancehas an area of trees that have been harvested.

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Introduction

A cattle ranch in southern Colorado

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dry and receive little rain. However, they havesome differences. While deserts in southernArizona can be very hot, ones in northernNevada are much cooler and yet are still part ofthe desert region. A group of cities can also makeup a region. Even though each city may haveits own industry, they are alike in that they areall cities and are more densely populated thanthe country around them.

The Regions in This textbook

We will study ten regions in this textbook.Geography books attempt to divide the countryin different ways. We hope to make thegeography of the United States easier toremember by dividing up the states. See the mapon the next page.

The New England States are six states locatedin the northeast part of the country. Next, wewill study the Middle Atlantic States which arethree states just south of the New EnglandStates. Below them on the map are the SouthMiddle Atlantic States, four states also on thecoast of the Atlantic Ocean. Finally, the lastregion on the east coast of the United States isthe Southeast States, a group of four states.

The central part of the country has many regionsthat we will study. The Great Lakes Statesare a group of five states around the Great Lakes.Then we will study two regions that are in thesouth central part of the country, the East SouthCentral States with four states, and the WestSouth Central States, also with four. To thenorth, we will study seven Plains States wheremost of the crops of this country are grown.

In the western part of the United States thereare two regions. We will study eight MountainStates where we will talk about the majesticRocky Mountains. Finally, we will end our studyof United States Geography with the PacificStates, a group of five states that all touch thePacific Ocean.

directly with the use of wires. Now today wecarry phones that do not even need a cord! Allthat we have to do is find a cell phone towernear a town or highway and we can get telephoneservice.

Today, the Internet is a powerful means ofcommunication. The government and largecommunication companies have connected manycomputers together which allow people to viewinformation from around the world instantly.

The Importance of Connections

How are connections important to our life? Asan example, think about the food that you eatwith your family. How did you get the beef?First, a farmer needs to buy calves or have calvesborn on his farm. Then, they must be fed andcared for to be healthy and fat. At some point,the cattle have to be herded onto a semi-truckwhich transports them many miles to aslaughtering house. The cattle are killed, andthe meat is taken from them. This meat mustbe carefully handled and packed so there is nodisease. These packages of meat are againbrought by trucks to the supermarket where youbuy your food. The government has to maintainroads so that food can be delivered. Sometimesit seems as if it is very easy to just go and buysomething to eat. However, as you can see, it ismuch more difficult than that.

Regions

What is a Region?

Studying the geography of the whole UnitedStates is a large task, so it is helpful to dividethe country into regions. A region is an areawhose parts are somewhat alike, and yet isdifferent from the other nearby areas.

A desert climate region is one example.Southwestern United States has a number ofdesert areas. They are alike in that they are very

Introduction

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Introduction

U.S. Regions Map

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Introduction

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Introduction

U.S. Elevation Map

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Introduction

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Introduction

U.S. Political Map

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Introduction

Introduction

The New England States region is an area richin history. Each day, the sun rises here firstbecause these states are on the east coast. Thenative people that lived in this area were calledthe Abenaki (AH bih NAH key) which means“People of the Dawnland.” These were thepeople who met with the Pilgrims on the firstThanksgiving.

After the Pilgrims, many other settlers fromEurope came to form colonies that later wouldbecome the New England States. These statesare Maine, New Hampshire (New HAMP sure),Vermont, Massachusetts (MASS ah CHOOsets), Connecticut (Cah NET ih cut), and RhodeIsland.

The Land and People

Atlantic Coastline

New England is well-known for its rocky coastwith many juts, peninsulas, and islands, as wellas some sandy beaches. Most of the people inthe Northeast live near the coast. Industrial cities,such as Boston, are in the southern part of thisregion. The few people who are on the northcoast live in cottages and small fishing villages.Because many people travel to this beautifularea in the summer, many large homes and resorthotels are being built to accommodate them.This concerns environmentalists who worry thatthe wild beauty of the coast will be lost if toomany homes and resorts are built. Fishermenalso are concerned that their businesses will behurt with too much development (new homesand businesses) on the coast.

This river flows from north to south, separatingthe states of Vermont and New Hampshire, andcontinues through the middle of the states ofMassachusetts and Connecticut (see map onpage 24). Very good farmland, as well as largecities such as Hartford, are in the ConnecticutRiver Valley.

Mountains

Much of the land of this area is mountainousand covered with forests (see elevation mapon page 24). The main mountain range is theAppalachian (Ap ih LAY shin) Range. In NewHampshire and Maine the Appalachians arecalled the White Mountains. West of theConnecticut River Valley, located in Vermont,the mountains are called the Green Mountains.Finally, the Berkshire (BERK sure) Hills are abeautifully forested area in westernMassachusetts and northwestern Connecticut.

New England StatesChapter Two

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Rivers and Valleys

The longest river in the New England States isthe Connecticut River. Connecticut means“beside the long river” in Monhegan, a languageof the Abenaki.

The Connecticut River in Massachusetts

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Maps.com

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Above is an elevation map. Thiskind of map shows the height of theland above sea level. To the left is apopulation map. Notice the legend.Near what city do most of thepeople live?

summer and autumn. In the summer thousandsof tourists visit the beautiful Atlantic coastalarea. In the fall when the leaves change tobrilliant colors, visitors from all over the worldvisit Vermont and other New England States.Acadia National Park, located on the Mainesea coast, also draws millions of visitors to thisarea.

Farming

Agriculture (farming) in New England isdifficult because the soil is not as fertile as it isin many other areas of the United States.According to records kept by the government,only one-tenth of the land in the New EnglandStates is used as farmland. Yet farming doesoccur in many areas of New England, especiallyin the state of Vermont. Perhaps you have seenpictures on calendars of these beautiful farms.

The main type of farming done in the region isdairy farming, especially in the northern part.This is because the cool climate allows for richpastureland where milk cows can graze. Someproducts of these dairy farms, such as milk,cheese, and yogurt, are sold all over NewEngland in major cities such as Hartford andBoston.

New England States

Climate

In the winter, the weather is cold and very snowy.In recent years, however, the amount of snowfallhas gone down and the region has seen morerain. Summers in the region are short.

Strong storms from the sea occasionally hit theNew England States. Hurricanes are very widestorms that have strong winds and much rain.Although most major hurricanes are farthersouth, in 1954 Hurricane Edna hit the NewEngland States. Another type of storm is calleda nor’easter, which occurs mostly in the winterwhen strong winds blow from the northeast withheavy precipitation.

Acid rain is polluted rain that harms forests inthese states. For the last thirty years many peoplehave been concerned about acid rain, but inrecent years the amount has decreased (gonedown).

Economy

Tourism

The New England States profit from the manytourists who visit this area, especially in the

Notice the effect of acidrain on these redspruce trees. Thisforest is near Casco Bayon the coast of Maine.

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On the left isan old-stylelobster pot.You can seethe funnelwhere thelobster goesin but can notget out. Onthe right aremodernlobster pots.

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lobsters go to get the bait. When the lobsters tryto escape, all but the small ones are trapped. Afew days later, the lobstermen locate their trapswith the colorful buoy and pull them up toharvest the lobsters.

History

Native Peoples

Before the Europeans came to the New Englandstates, many native tribes lived there, includingthe Abenaki, the Pequot (PEE kwat), and theMassachusett. These Indians used the land togrow squash, melons, and many other crops.Another one of the crops they grew was maize,which we know as corn. Did you know that thecorn we eat almost every day was first grown bythe Indians in New England?

The Abenaki tribes lived in homes calledwigwams. These homes, built by overlappingbark stripped from a birch tree, were well suitedfor the climate of New England.

In recent years, many of these native Indiantribes have been trying to regain from the UnitedStates what they call their homeland. In 1980President Carter signed a treaty which gave $81.5million to the Abenaki Indians. As a result ofthis treaty the tribe now owns many acres ofMaine forestland.

Seafood Industry

Often when we think of New England, weimagine a quiet fishing village on the rocky shoreof the Atlantic Ocean. From the time the firstEuropeans came, fish filled the bays of NewEngland, and the seafood industry has been animportant industry in that area ever since.

Cod is a well-known fish that is caught in theAtlantic Ocean. In years past, fishermen caughtthem by using large nets to gather many of thesefish at once. In the 1970s, however, thegovernment set limits on how many cod eachfishing boat could catch daily. Other laws werepassed such as the one that stated that onlytwenty miles of the coast in the state of Mainecan be used for the fishing industry. Althoughlaws such as these have increased the populationof cod again, the laws have concernedfisherman who are finding it more difficult tomake money by fishing.

The lobster industry brings millions of dollarseach year into the New England states. Lobsters,which are caught all along the coast of NewEngland, are a favorite seafood of many nativesand tourists. The pictures at the top of this pageshow lobster pots used to catch them. Aftertying a rope to a colorful buoy that floats onthe surface of the water, lobstermen drop thesepots deep into the water. The pots have largefunnel shaped holes on both sides into which

New England States

The Mayflower II, a replica of theoriginal Mayflower.

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loyal subjects of our dread Sovereigne Lord,King James…” This shows that the Pilgrims atthe beginning did not come to the new world torule themselves, but remained loyal to England.

However, in the 1700s many people of theAmerican colonies were unhappy because theydid not want to be taxed by England withouthaving a say in the British government. Afterthe English said that the colonists had to payeven higher taxes, the colonists protested thetaxes by throwing British tea into the waters ofBoston harbor. This event which occurred in1773, became known as the Boston Tea Party.Later, when the colonists armed themselveswith guns to fight the British government, theBritish attacked the towns of Lexington andConcord in 1775. The poet Henry WadsworthLongfellow refers to the battle of Concord as“the shot heard ‘round the world”. He also wrotea poem about this event called “The MidnightRide of Paul Revere”. The American Revolutionended a few years later with an American victory.

Pilgrims

As we learned earlier, the native Indians hadlived in this region for thousands of years beforean English captain named John Smith saw theland in 1614. He named it “New England” afterhis homeland. Later two main colonies wereformed on the east coast of Massachusetts.

The first group of Pilgrims settled in 1620 atPlymouth, Massachusetts near Cape Cod Bay.The Pilgrims were people who came to NorthAmerica so they could worship God freely. Theydesired freedom because they had beenpersecuted for their faith in Europe. These arethe Pilgrims who celebrated the firstThanksgiving in 1621 with the local nativeIndians.

In 1630 the Massachusetts Bay Colony wassettled. These Pilgrims, who were led by JohnWinthrop, built a settlement which later becameBoston. This colony, which was larger thanPlymouth, included what is today the state ofMaine.

American Revolution

For many years, the colonies of New Englandwere part of the British Empire. TheMayflower Compact, signed by the Pilgrimsin 1620, started this way: “In the name of God,Amen. We, whose names are underwritten, the

New England States

Hunting for Whales

“Have you seen the white whale?” These arethe well-known words of Captain Ahab in thefamous book, Moby Dick. This book tells us ofwhat was once a big industry in New England.From the time of the Pilgrims until the year 1927,many ships set sail out on the ocean to killwhales, mainly for the blubber of the whalewhich was boiled to make oil for lamps. Todayyou can visit Mystic Seaport in Mystic,Connecticut to relive this history. While thereyou can tour the C.W. Anderson, the only floatingwooden whaling ship left over from whalingdays.

Reformed Worldview Perspective:Although the American Revolutionended in an American victory, thecolonies had rebelled against Britain whothey admitted was their government.What does Romans 13 say about obeyingthose who govern us and about rebellingagainst them?

The view from Cadillac Mountain, AcadiaNational Park.28

The Slater Mill. Notice the waterfall.

Land

The three major landforms of Maine are thecoast, the eastern uplands and the WhiteMountains. Maine’s coast is 3,500 miles long!Along this coast are many rocky peninsulas andbays which are often filled with fog, while inthe southern part of the state sandy beaches arefound. A famous national park in this region isAcadia National Park. Many tourists come thereall year, but especially in the fall, to see the brightorange, yellow, and red leaves of the maple trees,and to visit Cadillac Mountain, a well-knownpeak in this park.

The fertile soil of the eastern uplands is foundin the northeastern part of Maine. Many forestssurround the farms in this area.

The forested mountain area in the western partof Maine is rural, which means that few peoplelive there. If you would look at a satellite mapof Maine on the Internet, all you would see arethe roads for the logging trucks. MountKatahdin, with its beautiful white peak, is thehighest mountain in Maine. After visiting thismountain, Henry David Thoreau, a famous

Textile Industry and Industrial Revolution

After the American Revolution, the IndustrialRevolution began. During the IndustrialRevolution, businessmen started making itemswith machines rather than by hand. As a result,factories were built which were able to makeproducts more quickly and cheaply.

A man named Samuel Slater opened a textilemill in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. This mill ranby using flowing water to turn a water wheel.The wheel then turned the machinery in the millin order to spin thread into cloth (textiles). Themen of the mill often hired women and childrenwho worked long, hard hours at the spinningmachines and looms.

The textile industry was very important in NewEngland for a long time. However, as we willsee, the technology industry would laterbecome the main industry of modern times.

Maine – The Pine Tree State

Introduction

Maine is called the Pine Tree State because it isa state with many pine tree forests, especially inthe northwestern part of the state where fewpeople live. On the eastern side of the state is along, rocky coastline, precious to the people ofMaine because of its wild beauty.

New England States

The PortlandHead Light is oftenphotographedbecause of itsbeauty.

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Potato farming in Maine

Wild blueberries which grow on bushes in fieldsall over the state are also an important crop ofMaine. Blueberries remain a symbol of Maine’sfarming. Although many potatoes andblueberries are grown, farming is not a large partof Maine’s economy.

Economy

The tourism industry is very important to thepeople of Maine, providing jobs to many of theresidents. The tourists who come to Maine enjoyvisiting the resorts and beaches on the coast ofMaine. These tourists love to eat the delicious

Farming

Have you ever wondered where french friescome from? They are made from potatoes, manyof them grown in Maine. Along with dairy farmproducts, potatoes continue to be an importantcash crop in the state of Maine. The leaves ofthe potato plants grow above the ground in longmounds, while the potatoes are underground.At harvest time, large tractors, some scoopingup four rows at once, plow up the potatoes intolong piles. These machines fill up a large truckwithin a few minutes! After harvest, thepotatoes are cleaned, packaged, and sold.

New England States

Reformed Worldview Perspective: AsReformed Christians, we must be carefulnot to follow Thoreau’s teachings aboutloving creation more than we love God.How should we view God’s creation? Whydid He create it? See Psalm 19:1.

American writer, claimed that creation was sogreat that you can love it more than you loveGod.

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The lighter partsticking out isthe Old Man ofthe Mountainbefore it fell offin 2003.

Mountains and the Sea

While you are not able to see "The Old Man ofthe Mountain" any longer, New Hampshire stillhas the beautiful White Mountains in thenorthern and central part of the state. Touristslike to visit this area to ski in the winter or tohike in the summer. These mountains, home towhat is called the Presidential Range, includethe very famous peak, Mount Washington, whichis known to have violent weather. On April 12,1934, weather instruments recorded a wind gustof 234 miles per hour!

In the southeastern corner of New Hampshireis the Eastern New England Upland, an area offarms and industry. The Connecticut River onthe west side of this region forms the borderwith the state of Vermont.

Except for Vermont, which has no coastline,New Hampshire has the smallest coastline ofany of the New England States. This coastalarea is filled with public beaches where touristsand residents enjoy the ocean. Inland from thecoast there are lowlands where cities andindustry are located.

New England States

lobster and other fish that come from the ocean.Seafood products are also shipped from here tomany parts of the country and the world.

Along with the seafood industry, shipbuilding isalso a key business in Maine. In the city of Bath,large destroyers are made for the United StatesNavy. After these ships are built, a big event isheld as the ship is launched after a bottle ofchampagne is smashed against the ship.

Since 90 percent of the state is forest, these vastareas provide timber for many industries,including paper companies. Because the forestsare important to the people of Maine, they takeextra care to conserve the forests. Over the pastfifty years, many of the forests have beenreplanted.

In recent years, more and more people havedecided to make their home in Maine, eventhough many of them travel all the way toBoston for work every day!

Cities

Maine is not a state of large cities. The largestcities are small compared to many cities in theUnited States. Portland, located along thesouthern coast of the state, is the largest citywith a population of 66,194. Almost one-fourthof Maine’s population lives in or near Portland.Augusta, the capital of Maine, has a populationof 18,560 people.

New Hampshire – The Granite State

The Old Man of the Mountain

New Hampshire is called the Granite Statebecause of its many granite mountains. Stonefrom these mountains is often used to constructlarge buildings. One granite cliff that Godcreated had been the symbol of New Hampshirefor a long time. However, it fell down in 2003!It was a group of five granite ledges known as

Reformed Worldview Perspective:Evolutionists believe that this stone wasmade millions of years ago. We knowthat this is not true because the Earthis only about 6,000 years old. How dowe know this?

“The Old Man of the Mountain” because itlooked like the face of a man when viewing itfrom the side.

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Manchester, New Hampshire, islocated in New Hampshire'sGolden Triangle.

Farming and Forestry

Because of the mountains in New Hampshirethere are few farms. Most of the farming is donein the southern part of the state. Some of themain agricultural products are beef cattle anddairy products, such as milk, cheese, ice cream,and yogurt.

New England States

Another large part of the agriculture of NewHampshire is the growing of greenhouse plantsand nursery products. A nursery is a place wheresmall plants are grown to be sold to landscapersand homeowners.

Finally, New Hampshire’s vast forests providewood for businesses such as paper mills andfactories that make tissues. In recent years,however, many factories in New Hampshire haveclosed down because of a lack of demand forpaper.

The Golden Triangle

In the southern part of New Hampshire, citiesand technology firms are growing, especiallyin an area called the “Golden Triangle”. Thethree main cities in this area are Nashua,Manchester, and Salem. Over the last fifty yearsNew Hampshire has had the greatest rate ofpopulation growth of any New England State.Many of these new residents find work in thebusinesses of the Golden Triangle or they travelto work in the metropolitan area of Boston,Massachusetts. Thus the economy of NewHampshire is greatly affected by what happensin Massachusetts.

Many people in New Hampshire are concernedthat there is too much growth and thatovercrowding and pollution will affect theirquality of life. For example, about thirty yearsago many residents delayed the construction ofthe Seabrook Nuclear Power Plant which wasbeing built by the coast of the Atlantic Ocean.While the plant was finally finished in 1990,many other cities in the United States also didnot want nuclear plants nearby. As a result, veryfew of them have been built since 1990.Although technology and service companieshave been growing in New Hampshire,manufacturing activity has gone down in recentyears. This is a concern of the people in the stategovernment which is located in Concord, thecapital city.

Lake Champlain is on the northwest border of Vermont.32

Vermont – The Green MountainState

Quarries

When was the last time you saw a statue madeof carved stone? Many of these statues are madeof granite or marble from Vermont. Granite andmarble are stones that are mined in a pit calleda quarry. Inside a quarry, miners cut and blastlarge chunks of rock. The rock is then lifted outof the quarry by a crane. Then, skilled artistssculpt beautiful artworks from the rock such asstatues and gravestones. One of the best-knownquarries is located in Barre (BARE ee), Vermont.

Marble is another type of stone that is takenout of the earth. The marble quarry of Vermontis located near Rutland. Because marble isbeautiful and shiny when it is polished,expensive and important buildings often havemarble floors or walls.

New England States

Land of the Green Mountains

The stone quarries are located in the GreenMountain region of Vermont. These low,forested mountains run down the center of thestate, often making it difficult to cross the statefrom east to west.

West of the Green Mountains, the ChamplainValley rolls down to beautiful Lake Champlain.This lake, which forms most of the border withNew York, is named after a French explorernamed Samuel De Champlain, who explored thearea of Vermont in the early 1600s. Later, otherFrench explorers called the area les verts monts,which is French for “green mountains”.

Highlands filled with pastures and farms are inthe eastern part of the state. These small townsand farms are often visited by artists andphotographers, especially in the fall season.

A sugar maple with tubes attached. Thetubes take the sap to the tub where thesap is boiled.

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Farming

Eastern and western Vermont have richpastureland that is very good for dairy farming.The most common dairy cow in Vermont is theblack and white spotted Holstein. Vermont’scheese, ice cream, and other dairy products aredelivered all over New England. One ice creamcompany that began in Vermont is now aninternational company called Ben and Jerry’s IceCream.

New England States

Maple syrup is also important to Vermont’seconomy. During late winter and early spring,millions of sugar maples and black maples aretapped for their sap. In the past, most peoplewould collect sap in buckets hung from the tree.Today, tubes are placed in the hole where thesap comes out. These tubes lead to a largeholding tank where the sap is collected and thenboiled to make syrup. It takes forty liters of sapto make one liter of maple syrup. This is thenormal amount of sap produced by one maturemaple tree in a season!

Cities and Business

Vermont has the second lowest population inthe United States, probably because its cities aresmall compared to other cities in the country.

The largest city, Burlington, is near LakeChamplain. Vermont’s capital is Montpelier(Mont PEEL yer).

An important town in Vermont is Bennington,near the border with New York. During theRevolutionary War a famous battle was foughtin New York near Bennington, giving a greatvictory to the colonists. Each year, the peopleof Vermont celebrate Bennington Battle Dayto remember this battle.

Because there are so few people, the state doesnot have much industry. Vermont does havemany ski slopes which residents and touristsenjoy. The most commonly known ski area is inStowe. The people of Vermont want to keepthe natural beauty of the state because manytourists travel there to enjoy its beauty.

Massachusetts - The Bay State

The American Revolution

Many believe Massachusetts is the mostimportant state in New England. Not only doesit have the largest state population, but it alsohas Boston, the largest city in the New Englandregion. Boston has been at the center of NewEngland life since colonial times. Today touristscan walk along the Freedom Trail in Bostonand relive many important events in Americanhistory. In the following paragraph note thewords that are in italics. These words point outplaces where each historical event occurred.

The Old State House (see picture on page 34) isthe place where many Boston colonists riotedbecause they felt the British treated them tooharshly. British soldiers fired into the riotousgroup and killed several people, includingCrispus Attucks, a man who was part Indian andpart African American. Because of this, theevent is called the Boston Massacre (1770).

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Old North Church in Boston.

Above is a picture of the Old StateHouse in Boston.

Later, as we learned, the Boston Tea Party(1773) and other events led to the British attackon Lexington and Concord. At Old North Churchand at Paul Revere’s House, visitors can learn howPaul Revere, William Dawes and SamuelPrescott warned the colonists that the Britishwere coming (April, 1775). At Bunker HillMonument, the Battle of Bunker Hill (June 1775)is retold. This battle, which really was foughton Breed’s Hill, is famous because of the patriotcolonel who cried, “Don’t shoot until you cansee the whites of their eyes!” The British seizedthe hill from the colonists, but many Britishtroops died, causing the colonists to take hopethat they could fight well against the British. In1776 the Declaration of Independence wasread for the first time at the Old State House. Onthe Freedom Trail you can also see the U.S.S.Constitution, a wooden warship that is called “OldIronsides”.

Another historical site to visit is PlimothPlantation, a town that recreates life as it was ina Pilgrim village. This site is in Plymouth, onthe coast of Massachusetts to the southeast ofBoston.

New England States

Landforms

But Massachusetts has much more than the cityof Boston. As you cross Massachusetts from thewest to the east there are first low forestedmountains, the Berkshire Hills. Traveling furthereast, the Connecticut River comes into view.This valley, which cuts south through the wholestate, is an area of rich farmland. Themetropolitan area of the city of Springfield is inthis valley.

To the east of the Connecticut River are theCoastal Uplands, a region of rolling highlands.Among these hills, more towns and urban areasbegin to appear. Massachusetts’ second largestcity, Worchester (WOOS ter), is located there.

The coastal lowlands are where most of thepeople of Massachusetts live (see map on page24). These lowlands follow the coast from theMerrimack River in the northern part of the stateto the border with Rhode Island in the south.While these lowlands extend far inland, theshape of the Massachusetts coast is unique.

Boston, Massachusetts

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The Hub of the New England Economy

Massachusetts is the hub of the New Englandeconomy. All the states in New England rely onthe people of Massachusetts to buy their dairyproducts and to visit their states. Whenbusinesses in Massachusetts have a poor yearthe whole region suffers economically. Thepopulation map on page 24 shows that Boston’slarge metropolitan area takes up much of theeastern part of the state. As we learned before,people from as far north as Maine travel toBoston every day to work.

The city of Boston has a large number ofuniversities, including Harvard University,Boston College, and the Massachusetts Instituteof Technology (MIT). There also are manyhospitals in the area. Many of the people livingin Boston are highly educated workers who areemployed by these schools or hospitals.

The universities of Massachusetts helped startmany of the important high technologyindustries found in their state. These arebusinesses that make new products such asbetter computers and cell phones. Theseindustries replaced textile manufacturing as themain industry in Massachusetts.

Cape Cod, a long strip of land that curls outinto the ocean on the western end ofMassachusetts, is separated from the mainlandby Cape Cod Channel. Located northwest ofCape Cod is Massachusetts Bay, while below itare Buzzard’s Bay and other islands such asMartha’s Vineyard and Nantucket. This groupof islands is often visited by the rich. It is alsothe location of the boyhood home of PresidentJohn F. Kennedy who was president from 1961until 1963 when he was assassinated. Thismeans he was shot and killed while he waspresident.

Farming and Fishing

While agriculture in Massachusetts is a verysmall part of the state’s economy, the state’scranberry bogs are well known throughout theUnited States. Cranberries are little berries thatgrow along the ground on vines and small shrubsin very wet areas called bogs. Since ripecranberries float, farmers flood cranberry bogsto harvest their crops. Cranberries are a deliciousberry often used as a sauce eaten on festiveoccasions. Most of the cranberries, however, aremixed into fruit drinks.

The state’s most important agricultural productsare nursery products and flowers, includingbeautiful chrysanthemums, petunias, andgeraniums that you may see around houseseverywhere in New England.

While fishing is not as important toMassachusetts as it used to be, seamen who fishfor shellfish, lobster, and cod are symbols ofthe Bay State. Cities such as Boston andGloucester (GLOSS ter) have always beenfishing ports. As mentioned earlier, thesefishermen are also concerned about laws thatcontrol how many fish may be caught.

New England States

Block Island is just off the coast ofRhode Island.36

Roger Williams was correct when he said thatgovernment should not force its citizens to goto a certain church. Later when the UnitedStates was formed, the leaders of our countrythought the same way. We know from historythat Roger Williams did befriend people ofvarious religions and as a result Rhode Islandbecame a haven for people of different ideas.

Rhode Island - The Ocean State

“Little Rhody”

Rhode Island is often called “Little Rhody”because it is the smallest state in our country.Its official nickname is the “Ocean State”.Everyone in Rhode Island is so close to the saltwater of the Atlantic Ocean, it never takes morethan a half hour to drive to the water’s edge.Some of the largest metropolitan areas in ourcountry are about the same size as the wholestate of Rhode Island. Even though RhodeIsland is the smallest state, it has a populationof over one million people, which is more peoplethan eight other states have.

Roger Williams

The colony of Rhode Island was founded by aminister named Roger Williams who was forcedto leave the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Hewanted a colony where people of differentreligions would live in peace, a place where thegovernment of the colony would not tell itscitizens which church they had to attend. ThePuritans in Boston and Plymouth very muchdisliked this idea because they thought theirchurch was the only true church.

New England States

Reformed Worldview Perspective: We arethankful for religious freedom, that agovernment cannot force people to go toa certain church, because that gives usthe freedom to worship God as we please.But we believe that the only true churchfound on earth is one that preaches thatthere is only one way to salvation, throughour Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Another person who settled in Rhode Island wasa woman named Anne Hutchinson. The Puritansalso did not want Anne Hutchinson in theircolony because she spoke against the church.She and Roger Williams were independent,meaning that they wanted to choose forthemselves how they wanted to be ruled andhow they worshipped. Like Roger Williams andAnne Hutchinson, the state of Rhode Island hasliked to be independent. The statue on the topof the state capitol is a man called the“Independent Man”. This independent spirit wasalso seen after the Constitution was writtenwhen Rhode Island was the last colony toapprove it.

The Land

Rhode Island has only two land regions, uplandsand lowlands. The Western New EnglandUpland is an area with hills, valleys, and lakes.Although called “uplands”, the land rises to onlyabout 800 feet above sea level. Forests in thisregion have grown over abandoned farmland.

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Economy

In the introduction we met a man named SamuelSlater who built a textile mill in 1793 inPawtucket, Rhode Island. The textile millsmoved to the southern states in the late 1800sto be located near the cotton fields. Especiallyduring the Great Depression in the 1930s, fewerand fewer factories were running in RhodeIsland. Today you can see many of these oldfactories being used for different kinds ofmanufacturing.

The chief industry in Rhode Island today is themanufacturing of electrical equipment.Companies make products such as surgeprotectors for computers. However, the biggestemployers in Rhode Island are hospitals anduniversities.

Providence

The official name of Rhode Island is “the stateof Rhode Island and Providence Plantations”.This shows the importance of Providence, thestate’s capital and largest city. 178,042 peoplelive in this city on the northern tip ofNarragansett Bay. Over the last thirty years,many efforts have been made to clean up thiscity. Streets were ripped out to let rivers flownaturally and new buildings were built.

A key business in Providence is the jewelryindustry which produces necklaces and rings tosell. Already in 1794, Nehemiah Dodge, a watchrepairer and goldsmith, started this tradition.Today, about 7,500 people in Rhode Island workin this industry.

The other major cities of Rhode Island areWarwick (WAR ick) and Cranston, located onthe western shore of Narragansett Bay.

Eastern Rhode Island is made up of lowlands.This area has sandy beaches as well as rockyshorelines. In addition, there are rivers, saltwaterponds, and lagoons. All of these landforms makesouthern Rhode Island an area of wetlands andestuaries. An estuary (ES chuh were ee) is anarm of the sea that extends inland, often a slowmoving river that is open to the sea. Birds andother wildlife usually live near these estuaries.Rhode Island fishermen make a living bycatching shellfish and other seafood in theseareas and in the ocean.

The coast of Rhode Island also containsNarragansett (Nair ah GAN set) Bay, a largeestuary that divides Rhode Island into two parts.The eastern side of Rhode Island is much smallerthan the western side and bridges connect oneside to the other across the islands. There aremany islands inside the bay and out in the ocean,which include two important islands, Aquidneck(also called Rhode Island), the largest island onwhich Newport is located, and Block Island,farther out in the ocean.

Farming

The rocky soil of the state is not suited forfarming. Like other New England states, RhodeIsland’s farmers primarily make their money byselling nursery products and flowers. Only aboutten percent of the land is tillable (able to beused for growing crops).

Rhode Island is known for a certain kind ofchicken called the Rhode Island Red. Beforethe introduction of the Rhode Island Red,chickens were always thin and without muchmeat. But the Rhode Island Red breed ofchicken quickly became popular because of itsmeat and eggs.

New England States

Hartford, the capital

of Connecticut.

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large, would have two members in the Senate.The larger states were glad that the House ofRepresentatives gave them more members in thegovernment than the smaller states.

Roger Sherman’s idea was wise because ourConstitution still works today, over 220 yearslater. Presently, all of the states except Nebraskause his idea of a “two house legislature" for thebasis of their governments.

Land

The shape of Connecticut is a rectangle, with asmall finger of land pointing toward New YorkCity. It has a long coast located on Long IslandSound. Just across the sound is Long Island, apart of New York State that protectsConnecticut from the stormy waves of theAtlantic Ocean. The lowlands along the coasthave many towns and cities located along thesandy beach shore line.

Running through the middle of the state, theConnecticut River is surrounded by fertilelowland where Connecticut’s largest city,Hartford, the capital, is located. The land aroundthis and other rivers are places where many cities

Connecticut - The Constitution State

Roger Sherman

Connecticut is called the “Constitution State”because of a famous resident named RogerSherman. The United States Constitution is along paper that tells how the government of theUnited States must work. The Constitution wasnot written until more than ten years after ourcountry began. After the United States gainedits independence in the American Revolution,the nation had many states that wanted to rulethemselves. They did not want one strong centralgovernment to rule over the whole country, butrather a weak government. After a few years thestates began to see that there was a need for astronger government which could raise moneythrough taxes and make laws for the commongood of all the states.

Roger Sherman was one of the main writers ofthe Constitution, written in 1787. He was theman who introduced the idea of both a Senateand a House of Representatives, together calledthe Congress of the United States. RogerSherman’s idea helped smaller states likeConnecticut be in favor of the Constitutionbecause he said that each state, no matter how

New England States

Shade-growntobacco in EastWindsor,Connecticut.

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Much of the farming is done in the ConnecticutRiver valley. Similar to other New Englandstates, nursery and dairy products are importantto the economy of the farmers. Only about one-tenth of Connecticut’s farmland is tillable (orarable, able to be farmed).

Another leading crop is tobacco, a plant usedto make cigars and cigarettes. Connecticutproduces shade-grown tobacco, which is usedfor the most expensive cigars. This kind oftobacco is grown in rows, along which stakesare placed to hang sheets of cloth over thetobacco plants. This cloth is not tightly woven,so it lets in some light to the tobacco, but nottoo much. The cloth allows shade-grown tobaccoto grow taller than regular tobacco plants,protecting them from the hot sun and from heavyrain.

have been settled. Besides Hartford, two otherwell-known cities are Bridgeport and NewHaven, both settled at the mouths of rivers onthe coast near New York City.

On both sides of the river are uplands wherefewer people live. The Western New Englandupland, where the Taconic and BerkshireMountains are located, is higher and rockier,with the highest point over 2000 feet inelevation. On the eastern side of the river arelow, forested hills.

Agriculture

Chicken farming and egg production areimportant to the state of Connecticut. Whilethey do not produce as many eggs as somestates, Connecticut has more chickens per squaremile than any other state!

New England States

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New England States

Connecticut is also known for its shipbuildingbusiness, notably one in Groton where there is slarge factory that builds submarines. Thelawmakers in the state of Connecticut areconstantly reminding the government about theimportance of this industry to the economy ofthe state, because, as we stated in theintroduction, Connecticut has long had a richmaritime history.

Connecticut also has many “farms” in the waterof Long Island Sound. This business is calledaquaculture. The clams and other seafoodraised in these “farm” areas are sold to seafoodrestaurants and other businesses.

Business

Insurance companies are prominent inConnecticut, many of them located in Hartford,the state’s capital. Insurance is something thatyou can buy so that you don’t lose money dueto an “accident”. Here is an example of howinsurance companies work. In order to own acar most states require that you have insurance.If you buy a car for $10,000, you have to payabout $1000 per year to an insurance company!

Even though that is a lot of money, theinsurance company will say that it is worth itbecause if you get into an “accident” you mayhave to buy a new car. If you have insurance, it

Reformed Worldview Perspective: AsChristians we know that there are reallyno “accidents” because God controlseverything. Christians may wisely useinsurance, but they must be careful thatthey do not place their trust in insurance,but use this as one of God’s gifts to uswho are stewards of all He gives us.

will pay for all or most of the damage caused bythe “accident”.

A Region of Large Cities

The Middle Atlantic States region is an area oflarge cities and urban areas. The three states inthis region are New York, Pennsylvania, andNew Jersey. The largest city in our country, NewYork City, is found there. This city is so largethat many states have fewer people living inthem than the population of New York City!

area of the main cities, you have themetropolitan areas, often covering a very largeregion. The New York metropolitan area hasmore than 18 million people!

Along the east coast of the United States thereare many metropolitan areas that are close toeach other. These areas form a megalopolis(meg a LOP oh lis). The largest megalopolis inour country starts in Boston, Massachusetts, andends in Washington, D.C. Two other large citiesin this area are Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, andNew York City.

One of the biggest problems which faces mostof the cities in this region is their populationdecrease. This greatly concerns leaders of thecities in the Middle Atlantic States. Pittsburgh,Pennsylvania is an example of a city where morepeople die each year than are born. The peoplewho remain in many of these cities are gettingolder, and the younger families are moving tothe suburbs or to other parts of the country.Other problems in the cities of this area are thehigh crime rates and the poor areas of the citycalled slums. People found in slums live inpoverty and have barely enough money to live.Both of these problems have caused muchconcern to city leaders.

Middle Atlantic StatesChapter Three

Geographers study urban areas so thatbusinesses can find which products sell in certainareas. Or, perhaps, city leaders want to knowfrom them where most of the rich or poor peopleof their city live and why they live where theydo. Geographers also use many words to describeparts in and around a city. One of these issuburbs, which is used to describe smallertowns and cities that surround large cities. Ifyou take all the area of the suburbs, plus all the

New York City is the largestcity in the United States

Reformed Worldview Perspective: Whatis the response of Christians to poorpeople living in the slums? We asChristians have a calling to help thosewho are truly in need. If we or thedeacons of the church become involvedin giving help to the poor we must alwayswitness to them about the saving workof Jesus Christ.

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Middle Atlantic States

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2010 Population Map of theMiddle Atlantic States

New York - NYNew Jersey - NJPennsylvania - PA

The Middle Atlantic States have several rivervalleys that cut through the AppalachianMountains. The best known of these valleys isthe Hudson River Valley which runs to the southfrom Lake Champlain to Long Island Sound. Tothe north of these states is the St. LawrenceRiver, which is very important to ocean trade.

Middle Atlantic States

Mountains and Plains

Appalachian Mountains

The Appalachian Mountains cover much of theland in the Middle Atlantic States. Theseforested mountains are not as high as the RockyMountains located in the western United States.While the “Rockies” reach an elevation of morethan 14,000 feet, the highest point of theAppalachians in these states is Mount Marcy, atjust over 5,000 feet. The Appalachian Rangeextends north from Georgia, all the way throughMaine and into Canada. The Catskill Mountainsin New York are part of this range of mountains.

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The Niagara Falls. The falls that are close up are in the U.S.A. The falls in thebackground are in Canada.

Reformed Worldview Perspective:Evolutionists say these mountains wereformed millions of years ago when twolarge plates of the earth crushed intoeach other. What does the Bible sayabout the age of the earth and about theeffects of the flood on creation?

behind the ship, water is pumped into the lockto raise the vessel. When the water level is highenough, the ship can move upriver as the gatesahead of it open. Before the locks were built,ships first had to be unloaded, then after theircargo was moved past the Niagara Falls area,reloaded again on a ship that was headed northor west to the Great Lakes. Now, because ofthe locks, shipping can be done from along theAtlantic Coast through to the Great Lakes.

Climate

East of Lake Ontario and Lake Erie is an areathat receives much snow in the winter. The causeof this is lake-effect snow. This occurs whencold air travels over a warm body of water. Whena cold winter wind blows across warm LakeOntario, the air picks up water. As the wind

Middle Atlantic States

Atlantic Coast and the Great Lakes

Other areas of lowlands besides the river valleysare the Atlantic Coastal Plain in New Jersey andthe lake plains near Lake Erie and Lake Ontario.Lake Ontario presents a problem to shippingbecause it is much lower than Lake Erie. A visitto the Niagara Falls will show you how muchthe river that connects the two lakes drops whenthe water rushes over the falls.

Because of this you may wonder how ships andboats travel from the ocean through to the GreatLakes. Ships do this by traveling through a seriesof locks on the Welland Canal which is near theNiagara Falls. Locks are small sections of acanal in which a ship is raised or lowered bychanging the water level. A boat going upriverfirst heads into a lock. After door-like gates close

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The Welland Canal hasmany locks.

Finance

The Middle Atlantic States have many centersfor the finance industry, such as banks andinsurance companies. Known world-wide in thefinance industry, the New York Stock Exchange,located in New York City, is a famous buildingwhere stocks are bought and sold. People allover the world are interested in the New YorkStock Exchange because they can buy stock incompanies in order to own part of them.

Middle Atlantic States

passes over the cooler land again in New York,it drops heavy snow.

Winters in the Middle Atlantic States are not asharsh as winters in the New England States,except in eastern New York and some of themountain areas which receive more snow andare colder.

Because the Middle Atlantic States are farthersouth than the New England States, the summersare longer there. Especially in New Jersey, thesummers are hot and humid. In the mountainsand northern part of the Middle Atlantic Statessummers are cooler. Enough rain falls in thisthree state region to support farming.

The coastal areas of the Middle Atlantic Statesrarely have hurricanes. However, the residentswho live near the coast must be prepared forheavy rainfall and storm surges. A storm surgeis caused when high winds push large wavesagainst the shore. If the storm surge occurs in aplace where people live, many homes andbusinesses can be destroyed.

Economy

Shipping

The Atlantic Ocean is good for business in theMiddle Atlantic States because cities such asNew York City have harbors through whichproducts have been brought into the UnitedStates since colonial times. A harbor is a large,deep bay of water that is protected from theocean so that ships can be loaded and unloaded.Today, most ships carry cargo in large containersthat can be moved easily onto trucks and trains.Intermodal transportation (moving cargo fromone type of carrier to another) is the term thatdescribes this method of shipping. Intermodaltransportation is used for both the shipping ofexports (products we ship to other countries),and for imports (products that are shipped intoour country).

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Manufacturing

Steel is one of the products that we ship to othercountries. For many years in our history theMiddle Atlantic States led the nation in steelproduction. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania was evenknown as “The Steel City”. But today, theMiddle Atlantic States are concerned becauseCalifornia and the Great Lakes States producemore steel than they do. In addition to this,China and other foreign nations produce steelmore cheaply because of lower labor costs.These two factors have caused many people tolose their jobs and to move from the region,making bigger problems for the cities.

Intermodal transportation at thePort of Newark, New Jersey

New Jersey also became British lands after thedefeat of the Dutch.

Later, in 1681, Pennsylvania was founded byWilliam Penn as a “holy experiment” in peacefulliving. In the 1700s, Philadelphia, Pennsylvaniawould become an important city in the AmericanRevolution because the Continental Congressmet there during the war.

During the French and Indian War (1754-1763), Britain and the Iroquois fought againstthe French and their Indian allies for control ofmuch of settled North America. A key victoryfor the British was won at Fort Duquesne (doCANE) near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Afterthis war, the British kept control of the area ofthe Middle Atlantic States.

Middle Atlantic States

Farming

About one-quarter of the land in the MiddleAtlantic States is farmland. The most profitablefarms are found in the southeastern part ofPennsylvania. Two types of farms found in thisarea and in other parts of the Middle AtlanticStates are dairy farms and market farms. Amarket farm or truck farm raises crops such astomatoes, onions, peppers, sweet corn and othercrops, which are enjoyed by people in urbanareas like New York City and Philadelphia.

History

Exploration and Colonial Life

The natives of this region were the Lenne-Lenapi(LEN ee LEN a pee) and the famous Iroquoisconfederacy. The five nations of the Iroquois(EAR a coy) are the Seneca (SEN a cah), Cayuga(cay YOU gah), Oneida (o NIGH da), Onondaga(AH non DOG a), and the Mohawk nations.The Iroquois were well-known for their long-houses. The name “Iroquois” has the idea thatthese five nations should live in peace in onelong-house.

As early as 1524, An Italian named Giovannide Verrazano explored the coast of New Jerseyand New York on a voyage in the service of theFrench. In 1609, Henry Hudson, an Englishexplorer, sailed into what is today New Yorkharbor. People from the Netherlands settledmuch of the land around New York City andthe Hudson River. In fact, as early as 1624,present-day New York City had the name, “NewAmsterdam”. However, in the year 1644, theBritish defeated the Dutch and renamed the city“New York”, after a city in Great Britain called“York”. The larger settlements of New York and48

Independence Hall in Philadelphia,Pennsylvania where the ContinentalCongress met during the AmericanRevolution.

American Revolution

Many battles of the American Revolution werefought in the Middle Atlantic States. In 1776,the colonists (settlers who fought for freedomfrom the British) lost New York City to theBritish, and during the rest of the war GeneralGeorge Washington tried to recapture it. Latein 1776, Washington had a victory at Trenton,New Jersey. However, in 1777, the British came

Reformed Worldview Perspective: AsChristians we may also buy and sellstocks but we must learn not to put ourtrust in riches or love them. See I Timothy6:10.

barge got to Albany, it could go down theHusdon River to the Atlantic Ocean

Immigration

At the mouth of the Hudson River is New YorkCity. This city has always been known as a placewhere immigrants entered the United States.Immigrants are people who move from theirhomeland to live in a new country. Dedicatedin 1886, the Statue of Liberty (a gift fromFrance) is a symbol that America is a land ofliberty for immigrants from all nations. Thisimpressive statue in New York harbor is visitedby millions each year.

New York: The Empire State

New York City

New York is called the “Empire State” becauseit plays such an important part in our nation’seconomy. To celebrate the fact that New Yorkis the Empire State, New York City has namedthe tallest building in the city the “Empire StateBuilding”.

New York City has a rich history. As we learned,the English named the city after they defeatedthe Dutch in 1664. Then, during the AmericanRevolution, New York City was controlled bythe British until the colonists won the war. Fewpeople know that after the American RevolutionNew York City was the national capital for sixyears.

New York City is unique because most of thecity is built on three islands, Long Island,Manhattan Island, and Staten Island. The city isdivided into five sections called boroughs(BURR ohs). The boroughs of Brooklyn andQueens are on Long Island. The borough ofManhattan is located on the island ofManhattan, and the borough of Staten Island ison Staten Island. The Bronx is the only boroughlocated on the mainland. Many bridges, tunnels,and ferries connect the boroughs to the other

Middle Atlantic States

back and captured Philadelphia. Because of this,the army of Washington had to endure a hardwinter at Valley Forge, where many of his troopsdid not have shoes during the winter and are saidto have left bloody footprints in the snow!

After the colonists in that same year had a greatvictory at Saratoga, New York, France began tohelp them in their fight against Britain. Eventhough Washington and his army could notdefeat the British in New York City, the colonistsgained control of all the land and cities bydefeating the British at the Battle of Yorktown,in 1781.

The Erie Canal

After the war, America continued to grow.Because more settlers began moving west, it wasimportant to have a waterway, not only for thosemoving west, but also to ship products back tothe east. Therefore, in 1825, the Erie Canal (acanal is a man-made channel of water), whichconnected Lake Erie to the Hudson River, wascompleted. Using this canal, a barge could enterthe Erie Canal at Buffalo, New York and traveldown the canal to Albany, New York. Once the

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The Statue of Liberty

York, the Adirondacks are beautiful mountainswhich are part of the Canadian Shield landform.The Mohawk River, flowing east to west throughthe center of the state, separates thesemountains from the Catskill Mountains insoutheastern New York. The CatskillMountains, along with the Allegheny (al-eh-GAY nee) Plateau, are part of the AppalachianMountain range. A plateau is a large, flat landarea that is at a higher elevation.

Besides New York City, many of the state'slargest cities are along the route of the New YorkState Canal System, a canal which contains partsof the old Erie Canal. The city of Buffalo islocated at the western end of New York on theeastern shore of Lake Erie. The city ofRochester is on the south shore of Lake Ontario.Syracuse is in central New York state.

Finally, at the eastern end of the Canal System,is the state capital of New York, the beautifulcity of Albany, located at the point where theMohawk and Hudson Rivers come together.(The place where two rivers meet is called theconfluence of the rivers). East of the HudsonRiver, New York shares a border with threestates, namely Vermont, Massachusetts, andConnecticut.

Below the Erie Canal are several long, large lakescalled the Finger Lakes, because they look like

Middle Atlantic States

parts of the city. The most famous bridge, builtin 1883, is the Brooklyn Bridge.

At the center of New York City is Manhattan.It is hard to believe that more than one and ahalf million people live on this small island, andthat during the day millions more pour intoManhattan to work in the tall buildings locatedin Midtown and Lower Manhattan.

New York City was the center of attention inthe United States and the world on September11, 2001. On that day, two large airplanes whichwere taken over by terrorists crashed into theWorld Trade Center buildings. As a result, thesetwo 110 story buildings collapsed to the groundcausing much death and destruction. MostAmericans who were living that day will neverforget that tragedy. As a result of that incident,our government has worked very hard to fightterrorism in our country and in many other placesaround the world.

The Land

North of New York City, the state of New Yorkhas a variety of landforms. Lake Ontario andthe St. Lawrence River form much of the state’snorthern boundary. Along these bodies of waterare lowlands, while south of these lowlands aremountains and plateaus. In northeastern New

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This is Lake Placid in theAdirondack Mountains of NewYork. The Olympics were heldhere in 1932 and 1980.

The Catskill Mountains insoutheastern New York

For many years Buffalo was a city known for itssteel production. However, like in other citiesof this region, steel output in Buffalo has gonedown. The city of Syracuse is known foreducational institutions such as SyracuseUniversity.

Millions of tourists visit the Empire State Plazaand the capitol building in Albany. The FingerLakes area and the vineyards of New York alsoare popular to tourists.

Middle Atlantic States

fingers in the middle of New York State. Theselakes all have names taken from the nativepeoples. Cayuga Lake is almost forty miles longand one-half mile wide. Seneca Lake is morethan 600 feet deep!

Farming

Dairy farming is the top agricultural industry inNew York. Butter, cheese, yogurt, and other milkproducts are produced in all parts of the state.These dairy products account for about half ofthe money that New York makes from farming.However, since all of those dairy cows need food,many of the field crops in New York are usedto feed the animals.

New York is known for its fruits and vegetables.Apples are grown mainly in the lowlands southand east of the Great Lakes, including theEmpire Apple, which was developed in NewYork. Grapes are also an important crop,although New York's output is very smallcompared to California's. Vegetables grown inNew York include cabbage, sweet corn, andonions.

Economy

New York’s smaller cities are often forgottenbecause of the focus on New York City.However, important industries are located insome of these smaller cities. Rochester, forexample, is the home of the Kodak Company,which for many years manufactured Kodak filmand cameras. But in recent years, the digitalcamera has made the film camera almostobsolete. An obsolete product is somethingwhich people do not want to buy because abetter product is available. In the past, whenyou took a picture with a film camera you hadto wait to get the pictures. However, digitalcameras allow you to see pictures almostinstantly and can be printed at home. Therefore,Kodak is now working to develop digitalcameras.

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This is the Empire State Plazain Albany, New York.

Pennsylvania: The Keystone State

William Penn

Pennsylvania, which was named for WilliamPenn, actually means “Penn’s Woods”. Thelargest city of the state is Philadelphia, a citywhich William Penn planned to be a place ofbrotherly love. Penn’s ideas came from his

The mountains of Pennsylvania curve downwardfrom the northeast to the south central part ofthe state. On a topographic map, you can see aseries of ridges as well as valleys with fertilefarmland. Rivers weave their way through thecanyons. One such river is the Susquehanna (susque HAH na) River, which runs through thestate capital, Harrisburg.

Finally, the land of the southeastern part of thestate is called the Piedmont (PEED mont),which is another name for the foothills of themountains. East of this area is the DelawareRiver, which forms the eastern border with NewJersey, and further south runs through the cityof Philadelphia.

Farming

The Piedmont area of Pennsylvania is home topeople called the "Pennsylvania Dutch,"

Middle Atlantic States

Quaker religion, a religion that promotes peace.In American history, the Quakers areremembered for being against slavery and againstwar. Today they are called the “Society ofFriends”, and believe that people must live by amysterious “inner light” which they say is givenby God.

52Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

The Liberty Bell

Reformed Worldview Perspective: AsChristians, we believe that people mustlive only according to what God’s Word,the Bible says. How does that differ fromthe Quaker’s idea of an “inner light”given by God?

As more colonies were founded on the Atlanticcoast, Pennsylvania was located right in themiddle of them. That is why it is called the“Keystone State”. A keystone is the centerstone of an arch. Because of its location,Pennsylvania was at the center of colonial life.

Philadelphia is the fifth largest city in ourcountry. While its influence and population havedecreased, it is still important to America. Afterall, the Constitution was written and adoptedthere! Visitors can go there to see IndependenceHall and the Liberty Bell. Both of these placesare well-known symbols of freedom in ourcountry.

The Land

Mountains and valleys make up much of thephysical geography of Pennsylvania. However,in the western part of the state is the Allegheny(al eh GAY nee) Plateau. This plateau rolls downto Lake Erie in northwestern Pennsylvaniawhere the state has its only access to Great Lakesshipping at the city of Erie. The large city ofPittsburgh is located on the Allegheny Plateau.

In Pittsburgh, often called “the city of threerivers", the Allegheny and Monongahela (mahnon gah HEE lah) Rivers meet to form the greatOhio River. All of the water in these rivers flowsdown from the Appalachian Mountains.

Pennsylvania provides very little of the oil inour country, and off shore oil pads, as well asthe states of Texas and Alaska, produce moreoil.

Today Pittsburgh is better known for itseducational and medical centers. The Universityof Pittsburgh’s Cathedral of Learning is abeautiful tower in the city center and the medicalcenter of the university is the city’s largestemployer.

Pennsylvania has many coal mines locatedthroughout the state. In 2005, only Wyoming,West Virginia and Kentucky mined more coalthan Pennsylvania. Coal is used in the steelindustry, at electric power plants, and in manyother industries.

Hershey, Pennsylvania should be a commonname to you. It is the home to HersheyChocolate Company, which always has been thelargest chocolate company on the continent. So,if you have a sweet tooth, you will have to visitHershey.

Another tourist attraction is the GettysburgNational Military Park, located near Harrisburg,in the south central portion of the state. At thisplace, the most important battle of the AmericanCivil War was fought. This battlefield site wasthe place where Abraham Lincoln gave hisfamous Gettysburg Address.

East of Gettysburg, in the city of Philadelphiaon the Delaware River, many majorpharmaceutical companies have been built.These companies make medicine which is soldworldwide.

New Jersey: The Garden State

Cities

New Jersey is the state located between NewYork City and Philadelphia. Many of NewJersey’s largest cities are suburbs of these two

Middle Atlantic States

descendants of German immigrants. They havefarmed this fertile region for many years.

Today visitors who come to this region can seehow farming was done one hundred years ago.The people who live on these farms are calledthe Amish, a group of Pennsylvania Dutchpeople who believe that Christians should livea simple life. Many Amish, for example, believethat they should use a horse and buggy insteadof a car.

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Reformed Worldview Perspective: Webelieve that a Christian should live in theworld but not be “of the world”. We canuse modern inventions because they arenot sin in themselves. However, we mustuse all things to give glory to God.

Dairy products are the most important farmproduct of Pennsylvania. Beef cattle are alsoraised, and as was true in New York, many cropsto feed the cattle and dairy animals are grownthere. Pennsylvania has many mushroom farmswhich produce billions of pounds per year.Mushrooms have many uses, the best knownuse probably being for topping on a pizza!

A Changing Economy

The economy of Pennsylvania has changed overthe years. The city of Pittsburgh, for example,used to be the center of the steel industry. Manyyears ago the smoke from the factories inPittsburgh made the sky dark in the middle ofthe day. Today, however, the city is much cleanerand modern looking. While the largest steelcompany, USX Corporation, still has itsheadquarters in Pittsburgh, many of the steelmills are gone.

In addition to having been a center of the steelindustry, Northwest Pennsylvania used to beknown as a center of the oil industry. Alreadyin 1859, Edwin L. Drake had an oil well inTitusville, Pennsylvania. At this point, the oilindustry in the United States was born. Today,

roads and buildings on the steep slopes. Becauseof this, most people live in the northeast, whichis made up of the Piedmont on the eastern edgeof the mountains, and the plains area. Anotherplace in the state where few people live is thePine Barrens, an area of pine forests, found inthe center of the southern part of the state.

The borders of New Jersey are mostlydetermined by bodies of water. The westernborder is formed by the Delaware River, whilethe northeast border is marked off by the HudsonRiver. The eastern border is the Atlantic Oceanwith many long, thin, islands, just off the shore.At the southern tip of the beautiful Atlanticcoast is Cape May, on the Delaware Bay whichborders on the south.

Farming

New Jersey’s nickname is the “Garden State”,because of the many truck farms found in thestate. The produce that New Jersey grows is soldto markets in Philadelphia and New York City.However, the state’s most important farmproducts are from greenhouses and nurseries.Examples of greenhouse products are roses,lilies, and poinsettias. Other nursery productssuch as sod and bushes are also grown in NewJersey. All of these products are readily sold inthe nearby cities.

The state also grows cranberries, peaches, andother fruits. New Jersey’s blueberry crop isespecially well-known because it produces aboutone-fifth of all the blueberries in the UnitedStates. Next time you open a box of blueberries,see if they are from New Jersey!

Middle Atlantic States

great cities. In fact, much of New York City’smetropolitan area is in the state of New Jersey.Look at the population map on page 44 to seethis large cluster of cities in the northeasternpart of the state. One city in this cluster isNewark, New Jersey, a city with 277,140 people,and yet it is considered a suburb of New YorkCity! While Newark has lost much of itspopulation over the last fifty years, it would stillbe a very large city in many other states.

The metropolitan area of Philadelphia extendsinto the Delaware Valley of New Jersey whichis named after the Delaware River and is foundin the southwestern part of the state. Trenton,the state capital, is located on the river north ofthis urban area.

History

Because New Jersey is between Philadelphia andNew York City, the state played an importantpart in the American Revolution. As we learned,the British controlled Philadelphia in the winterof 1777-1778. But when the British decided toleave Philadelphia and go to New York Cityinstead, General Washington led the colonistsin an attack on the British at Monmouth, NewJersey in June of 1778. Although neither sidewon the battle, most people remember this battlebecause of Molly Pitcher, the housewife whocame to the battle with her husband. Accordingto tradition, she brought water to the soldiers asthey fired the cannons, and even fired thecannon herself.

The Land

The northwestern corner of New Jersey ismountainous, making it very difficult to build

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To the right is a picture ofthe cranberry harvest inNew Jersey.

Middle Atlantic States

Economy

Many years ago, Thomas Edison, one of thiscountry’s earliest chemists, produced most ofhis inventions in New Jersey. Today, the mostimportant industry of New Jersey is the chemicalindustry, which produces chemicals used in ourhomes and in manufacturing. The factories inNew Jersey are located near large ports for twomain reasons. First, this manufacturing oftenrequires water, and secondly, the chemicals need

to be shipped to other ports by ship. For example,Jersey City, New Jersey, a suburb of New YorkCity, makes chemicals, and ships them throughthe port of Newark, New Jersey, which at onetime was the busiest port in the world.

New Jersey is one of the main places in theUnited States where many of the world’s leadingpharmaceutical companies have factories thatmake various medicines and other health careproducts.

Finally, New Jersey has much tourism along itscoast. The long, thin islands have beautifulbeaches and resorts popular with tourists. Oneof the most notable places in this area is theresort of Atlantic City, known for its gambling.

Barnegat Lighthouse on thecoast of New Jersey

Reformed Worldview Perspective:When somebody bets money hoping toreceive money by “luck” it is gambling.What does the Bible tell us about “luck”and about wasting our money in thehope of gaining more? What does theBible mean when it says that “the loveof money is the root of all evil”?

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The South Middle Atlantic States are a groupof four states located near our nation’s capital,Washington, D.C. The states of Delaware,Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia make upthe region.

The Land

The South Middle Atlantic States have threedistinct landforms; the mountains, the Piedmont,and the Atlantic Coastal Plain.

Mountains

The main mountain range of the South MiddleAtlantic States is the Appalachian MountainRange, found in the forested western part ofthe region. Just to the east of the AppalachianMountains is a narrow range called the BlueRidge Mountains. The beautiful ShenandoahValley is tucked between them in the westernpart of Virginia. The National Park Service hasbuilt a road through this area called the BlueRidge Parkway. This road winds through valleysand tunnels and offers breathtaking sights ofmountains and waterfalls.

Piedmont

The word “Piedmont” means “at the foot ofthe mountain.” The Piedmont, just to the eastof the mountains, is an area with foothills andplains that slope down to the Atlantic CoastalPlain. Many of the farms and cities are locatedin this region, especially along the fall line. Thisis a line that divides the eastern Atlantic coastalplain from the Piedmont. It is called the “fallline” because it contains many rapids andwaterfalls as the rivers go down rapidly from

higher to lower land. The fall line is close to theAtlantic Ocean in the north, but by the time itgets to Virginia and the Carolinas it is at least100 miles inland from the Atlantic Ocean. Manyof the cities of the South Middle Atlantic Statesare located on the fall line, because in the colonialdays people built water mills (mills withmachines moved by water-power) on the riversof the region.

South Middle Atlantic StatesChapter Four

Coastal Plain, Bays, and Rivers

Much of the eastern part of the South MiddleAtlantic States is low, coastal plain, with manybays and rivers located there. The ChesapeakeBay is a very large body of water in Virginia andMaryland. Delaware Bay borders the easternshore of Delaware. Many large cities and portsare located on these bays. Major rivers such asthe Susquehanna and the Potomac River feed

Chimney Rock lookout on the BlueRidge Parkway in Virginia

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57

58

Population Map of theSouth Middle Atlantic States

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Delaware - DEMaryland - MDVirginia - VAWest Virginia - WV

settlement was in Jamestown in 1607 on theChesapeake Bay. The settlers of Jamestownwere not ready for the hard work of starting anew settlement and had to be forced to growcrops by their leader, John Smith. After manydifficult winters, however, the colony was ableto survive. The Native Americans in theJamestown area were under a chief called,Powhatan. Many interesting stories are toldabout how his daughter, Pocahontas, saved thelife of John Smith, although historians are notsure whether the stories are true. What we doknow as fact, however, is that John Smith andJamestown survived. In 1619, the House ofBurgesses met in Virginia for the first time,important because it was an early step to self-government while the colonists were underBritish rule.

After 1607, the other colonies were formed forvarious reasons. Settlers from Sweden came toDelaware, and the colony that became Marylandwas formed for religious freedom, mainly forRoman Catholics from England. We will discussthe other colonies later.

American Revolution

The colonies in the South Middle Atlantic Stateswere Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia. By the

South Middle Atlantic States

the Chesapeake Bay. The Potomac River isnotable because it runs through Washington,D.C, and serves as a border between Virginiaand Maryland.

Climate

The South Middle Atlantic States have coolwinters and hot summers. A normal winter dayis usually cold and snowy, while a normal day insummer is often hot and humid, although themountainous regions of West Virginia andVirginia are cooler. Pockets of fog are oftenpresent in the mountain passes making itdifficult to see the tops of the mountains.

Economy

Farming is one important part of the economyin the Middle Atlantic States. Most of thefarming in the South Middle Atlantic Statestakes place in the Piedmont region and on theDelmarva Peninsula east of Chesapeake Bay,named from a combination of the three statesthat are on the peninsula, Delaware, Maryland,and Virginia. There farmers grow crops such astobacco and vegetables. A major agriculturalindustry of the area is raising chickens.

Many jobs in the South Middle Atlantic Stateshave to do with the government since the areasurrounds Washington, D.C., our nationalcapital. People either work directly ingovernment office buildings such as thePentagon or for businesses that build militaryequipment and other products for thegovernment. The region is also home to majorchemical and manufacturing companies thatprovide work for residents of the area.

History

Colonial Period

The state of Virginia played a leading part inour nation’s history. The first successful English

The Pentagon is a huge complex ofoffice buildings in Virginia which servesas the headquarters for the military ofthe United States.

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South Middle Atlantic States

1700s, each of these colonies had its owngovernment, even though Great Britain didn’tcare about what these colonial governmentssaid. Because so many people of different ideaswere moving there, Britain had a hard timecontrolling the colonies. Britain responded withmany actions and laws (called “Acts”) that thecolonies did not like.

We have already discussed the AmericanRevolution which first began mainly in the NewEngland and Middle Atlantic States. After 1780,much of the fighting moved to the Southbecause Great Britain believed that the Toriesin the South would help them win a victory. ATory was a person who was on the British side.From 1780 to 1782, the British were in controlas far south as the important seaport ofCharleston, South Carolina. However, after thesignificant battle of Cowpens, South Carolina,

The battle of Antietam in Marylandwas a major battle in the Civil War.The bridge in the picture wascaptured by northern troops duringthe battle. After the battle, PresidentLincoln announced theEmancipation Proclamation whichfreed the southern slaves.

the colonials eventually were able to push theBritish to defeat at Yorktown in 1781.

Since Yorktown was on the Chesapeake Bay,the French were able to help the colonists byblocking British ships from entering the Bay tosave their troops at Yorktown. As a result, thecolonists gained the victory in 1781 with thehelp of the French government and people.However, the Americans did not sign a peacetreaty with Britain until 1783, at the Treaty ofParis.

War of 1812

After several years, America fought Britain againin the War of 1812. During that war, the Britishattacked many American ports in theChesapeake Bay. They even burned Washington,D.C. After the war, the United States stillremained an independent country.

The Civil War

The Civil War was fought in the United Statesfrom 1861-1865. A civil war is a war in whichpeople from the same country fight each other.During the Civil War over 600,000 Americanslost their lives!

The war began at Fort Sumter in Charleston Bayin 1861. Most of the southern states seceded(left the nation) and formed the Confederacywith Richmond, Virginia as its capital. Many ofthe battles of this war were fought in Virginia,between Washington, D.C. and Richmond,because both armies wanted to capture thecapital city of its enemy. At first the southernstates had much success, especially because ofa brilliant general named Robert E. Lee.However, on July 3, 1863, the northern armywas able to win a great victory at Gettysburg,Pennsylvania. Although many generals wereinvolved for both the North and the South, theNorthern general, General Ulysses S. Grant,continued to fight General Lee of the 61

Land and Water

Delaware is a small state that is on the east sideof the Delmarva Peninsula between theChesapeake Bay and Delaware Bay. Much ofthe shoreline on Delaware Bay is swamplandprotected by the state. The southern part ofthe state also has a small shoreline on the AtlanticOcean that is lined with sandbar islands.

Because the Piedmont is only in the northernpart of the state, much of Delaware is low,coastal plain. The fall line runs between thesetwo landforms in northern Delaware near theChristina River. The coastal plain used to havemany cypress swamps, but today, the only majorswamp in Delaware is called the Great CypressSwamp, and is protected by the state.

Farming

The best farmland in Delaware is found along alow ridge between the watersheds of theDelaware and Chesapeake Bays. A watershedis an area that is drained by a river to a body ofwater.

Soybeans are the state’s number one crop, usingabout forty percent of the farmland. Delawarehas always been known for its poultry industry(chickens). In fact, the state makes most of itsmoney in agriculture from the sale of broilers(small, young chickens). The blue hen chicken,developed in Delaware, is a well-known breedof chicken.

Economy

Delaware has always been known for itschemical industry. In the early 1800s, aFrenchman by the name of Du Pont came toDelaware to start a gunpowder mill on

South Middle Atlantic States

Confederacy in many battles near the twocapitals. After much bloodshed, the Southsurrendered at Appomattox Court House inVirginia in 1865.

Bethany Beach on the Delawarecoast.

Delaware - The First State

The Beginnings of Delaware

The first Europeans to settle in Delaware camefrom the Netherlands in 1631. The Indians fromthe Lenni Lenape, whom we have studiedbefore, raided the settlement and destroyed it.However, because they caught diseases from thecolonists, the Native Americans soon left thearea. In 1638 settlers from Sweden came andset up a town near the present day city ofWilmington, and called the Delaware region,New Sweden. The Dutch felt threatened by theSwedish settlement, so they took control of thearea by the year 1655.

Until 1701, when William Penn gave thempermission to become a separate colony,Delaware was under the rule of Pennsylvania.Delaware is called "The First State" because onDecember 7, 1787, it was the first state toapprove the United States Constitution.

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South Middle Atlantic States

Brandywine Creek. Today, the Du PontCorporation is a large company that produces avariety of chemical and energy products.

The biggest city of Delaware is Wilmington, inthe northern part of the state. Most of thepeople in Delaware live near there. Wilmingtonis a center for credit card banking. A creditcard allows you to buy products and serviceswithout paying with paper or coin money andthen allows you to pay back later, as long as youpay some interest.

Dover, the capital of Delaware, is in the middleof the state. In 2008, Delaware Senator JoeBiden from Delaware was elected to be Vice-President of the United States to serve withPresident Barack Obama.

Delaware's capitol building in Dover

Wilmington, Delaware skyline

Maryland - The Old Line State

History

The colony of Maryland was formed to protectthe rights of Roman Catholics, because manyof them were persecuted in America as well asin Europe. In 1632, Lord Baltimore, also namedCecil Calvert, received a charter from KingCharles I that gave him the right to start a colonywhere he hoped there would be freedom ofreligion. His brother, Leonard Calvert, whobecame the first governor, desired thatProtestants and Catholics could work side byside.

One Native American tribal group in the regionat this time was the Algonquin (Al GAHNquinn). These tribes wanted an ally against theirenemies, the mighty Susquehannock (Sus KwihHAN ock). Eventually, the colonists helpedthem defeat the Susquehannock, mainly becausethe Native Americans died of diseases that thecolonists had brought to the New World.

Annapolis, named after Great Britain’s QueenAnne, became the capital in the early 1700s. Itsoon was known in the colonies as a center ofmusic and art. The port of Baltimore wasestablished at this time, because it had anexcellent natural harbor on the Chesapeake Bay.After colonists settled farther inland,disagreements arose when people fromPennsylvania and Maryland started to settle onthe same land. Finally, Charles Mason andJeremiah Dixon settled this problem by marking

Reformed Worldview Perspective: Therecession of 2008 and 2009 was causedpartly because many people borrowedmore than they could pay back. AsChristians, we may use credit cards butmust be careful that we pay back whatwe owe. Talk about how using creditcards can be both good and bad.

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After the War of 1812, the United States grewin population. Over many years, the governmentbuilt the National Road from Maryland to Illinois.Canals such as the Chesapeake and DelawareCanal were built so that ships could cut acrossfrom the Chesapeake Bay to the Delaware Bay.The Baltimore and Ohio (B & O) Railroad wasoriginally started in Maryland and it soon becamea center in the growth of our nation.

The Land

The shape of Maryland is unique. The westernpart of the state is a thin cut of land to the northof the Potomac River. The state of WestVirginia is to the west and Pennsylvania is northof the Mason-Dixon Line, which forms theboundary. The Allegheny, Blue Ridge, andAppalachian Mountains cut through this thestate. Backbone Mountain, with an elevationof 3360 feet, is located in the extreme westernpart of Maryland.

The eastern part of Maryland wraps around theChesapeake Bay, which is formed especially bythe mouths of two great rivers, the SusquehannaRiver and the Potomac River. Excellent naturalharbors can be found here because the 200 milelong bay is deep and protected from the AtlanticOcean. Wildlife abounds in the bay because ofthe many estuaries, marshes, and swamps. Westof the bay is the Piedmont where much of thefarming takes place. In the southern part of thebay is Bloodsworth Island, a U.S. Navy preserve,which is pock-marked with many craters fromtarget practice of the navy that occurred until1996.

Maryland has a short coastline with the AtlanticOcean. The famous Assateague Island from thebook, “Misty of Chincoteague”, is here.According to legend, the wild horses found hereare from a Spanish galleon that was wrecked inthe 1500s.

South Middle Atlantic States

a straight line between the two states and a linebetween Maryland and Delaware. This becamethe important Mason-Dixon Line that dividedthe northern states from the southern statesalready before the Civil War.

The colonists soon developed a rebelliousattitude toward Great Britain. In 1774, rebels(colonists who were against British rule)protested a tax on tea by burning the ship calledPeggy Stewart in Annapolis harbor. Most of thepeople did not agree with the violence, but theAmerican Revolution had already begun. Duringthe American Revolution General GeorgeWashington was trapped on Manhattan Islandin New York City, and brave Maryland troopsheld a strong line. From this, Maryland began tobe called the “Old Line State”.

Maryland played an important role in the Warof 1812 when British ships attacked manyChesapeake towns and even burned the capital.At Fort McHenry near Baltimore, citizens builtbarricades to protect the city, but the British justbombed them from their ships anyway. Duringthe battle, Francis Scott Key saw the Americanflag waving in the middle of these bombs. Hewrote the "Star Spangled Banner" which laterbecame our national anthem.

Fort Mc Henry in Baltimore

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Cities

The port of Baltimore was settled about 300years ago because of its excellent natural harbor.Today, Baltimore is the largest city in Marylandwith a population of 620,961. With its harbor,it is an important port along the eastern seaboard,mainly because it is very far inland and theharbor is deep. Maryland’s state capital is in thecity of Annapolis, the home of the U.S. NavalAcademy, which trains young naval officers forwork in the U.S. Navy.

District of Columbia

The District of Columbia is a small box-shapedpiece of land along the Potomac River betweenMaryland and Virginia, but is not a part of eitherstate. Located in this District is our nation’scapital, Washington, District of Columbia(D.C.). Many famous buildings are there. Thetwo most famous ones are the White Housewhere the President lives, and the U.S. CapitolBuilding where the Congress of the United Statesmakes laws. Both are located on PennsylvaniaAvenue, with the Capitol Building southeast ofthe White House. Across the street from theCapitol is the U.S. Supreme Court Building, andwest of the Capitol are the WashingtonMonument, the Lincoln Memorial, and severalmuseums and War Memorials, all located on theNational Mall. The Thomas Jefferson Memorialand the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorialare to the south of the National Mall.

South Middle Atlantic States

Farming

Maryland grows a wide variety of crops,including nursery and greenhouse products,which are becoming popular because theresidents of nearby cities want to buy them fortheir homes. Although corn and soybeans areimportant crops, the eggs and the meat ofchickens are the most important agricultureproducts. Perdue Farms, located in Salisbury,Maryland, is a large poultry business insoutheastern Maryland. You often see thisbrand in the meat section of the local grocerystore.

Economy

The Chesapeake Bay is very important to theeconomy of Maryland, mainly because of theseafood industry. The symbol of this industry isthe blue crabs which are eaten by many localresidents and tourists, who find it takes a lot ofpractice to clean and eat blue crab! Oysters andclams are also harvested from the bay by localworkers. Many residents of the area have jobsin restaurants which serve delicious seafoodfrom the bay.

A large number of Maryland residents arewealthy because of the high-paying jobsavailable in the area. As we stated in theintroduction, because Maryland is close toWashington, D.C., many government jobs areavailable. Numerous businesses that buildproducts for our military are nearby, such asLockheed-Martin in Bethesda, Maryland.Another company that provides jobs forresidents of Maryland is the Black and DeckerCompany which began as a tool manufacturerlocated in Baltimore. Today, it has grown into alarge corporation that produces power tools andother products.

Port of Baltimore, Maryland

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South Middle Atlantic States

It is impossible to name all of the importantgovernment buildings in this book. Find a mapof Washington D.C. which shows all thegovernment buildings in the area, and you willbe able to understand why the number ofgovernment workers that come to Washington,D.C. every day is astounding.

Although it rarely happens, the Supreme Courtcan declare that a law is not fair according tothe United States Constitution.

West Virginia - The Mountain State

History

Early explorers came to the West Virginia areaalready in the 1600s when it was still a part ofthe Virginia colony. George Washington, wholater became our first President, came there in1747 as a young apprentice surveyor (a personwho marks off the boundaries of property).Washington owned large tracts of land near theKanawha River in the far western part of thestate. When many early settlers moved onto hisland, he was forced to evict them from his land.This means that he told them to leave his land.

Settlers continued to come across the mountainsagainst the orders of the King of England, whosaid in 1750 that no white settlers could settleacross a line that he made through theAppalachians Mountains. Shortly after this, theFrench and Indian War was fought. During thiswar, battles were fought at Fort Henry nearWheeling, West Virginia, in the panhandle regionof the northern part of the state. After theBritish victory at Fort Duquesne in 1758, peacecame to the western Virginia area.

Our national government is divided into threedifferent branches. They are called thelegislative (LEH jis LAY tiv) branch, theexecutive (ihg ZEH cue tiv) branch, and thejudicial (jew DIH shul) branch. The legislativebranch makes the laws for our country. Anothername for this assembly of people is the Congresswhich meets at the United States Capitol. TheCongress is made up of the Senate and theHouse of Representatives (also called theHouse). The executive branch includes thepresident and vice president and all of the peoplewho work for them. The executive branch makessure that the people of the country follow thelaw. The President is also the commander in chiefof the military and the most importantrepresentative of the United States who meetswith foreign nations. The judicial branchconsists of the Supreme Court Justices who mustmake sure that the nation’s laws are fair to allthe citizens.

How do these three branches of governmentwork together to make laws? First, when a lawis proposed it is called a bill. In order for a billto become a law, both the House and the Senatehave to approve it with over half of the membersof the House and over half of the Senate saying,“Yes,” for a bill to be approved. Then, if thePresident signs the bill, it becomes a law.

Reformed Worldview Perspective: AsChristians, the Bible commands us topray for those who rule over us andsubmit to them. We are called to obeythem except when they command us tosin. Discuss how that could happen.

The United States Capitol inWashington, D.C.

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King Coal

West Virginia is a major coal-mining state. Itranks second in coal production only to the stateof Wyoming. Many of the coal mines are in theAllegheny Mountains of the eastern part of thestate. Coal is mined in various ways. A shaftmine is deep under-ground and workers mustbe lowered by elevators down into the mine. Inan open-cast mine, heavy equipment cuts coalaway on the earth’s surface. A slope mine issimilar to a shaft mine except that a tunnel slopesdown to the mine from the side of a hill. Finally,in a drift mine, which is on the side of a hill,the coal is taken from inside the hill and broughtby a conveyor belt down to the plant.

Miners face many dangers in their work. Onedanger is Black Lung Disease, which can developfrom inhaling the coal dust of the mine. Another

South Middle Atlantic States

The Battle of Point Pleasant was fought in 1774between the Virginians and the NativeAmericans. Because it was fought before theBattle of Lexington which took place in Aprilof 1775, and because many Virginians believedthat the Indians in the battle were aided by theBritish, some people claim that this was the firstbattle of the American Revolution. A few yearslater during the Revolutionary War, many of theNative Americans who lived in what is nowWest Virginia fought on the British side. FortHenry, near Wheeling, was the site of manyattacks.

When the United States was formed followingthe defeat of the British, western Virginia wasstill a part of Virginia. Many settlers continuedmoving into the area in the 1800s. One of them,the famous Daniel Boone, later became alieutenant colonel in the Kanawha Countymilitia. During the Civil War, the residents ofwestern Virginia were against slavery whileeastern Virginia wanted slavery. The plantationowners east of the mountains had more votingpower, so Virginia remained a slave state whenthe Civil War began. At the request of the peopleof western Virginia who were against slavery,Congress decided to form the state of WestVirginia in 1863, while the Civil War was beingfought.

The Land

West Virginia has a strange shape. The OhioRiver forms the northwest border and the TugFork River forms the southwest border of thestate. The border with Virginia, Maryland, andPennsylvania is so jagged that West Virginia hastwo panhandles, one in the north, and one inthe east.

The “Mountain State” is a good nickname forWest Virginia. The Allegheny Mountains are inmuch of the eastern part of the state. SpruceKnob, with an elevation of 4863 ft., is locatedhere. Although the residents of the state enjoy

the scenic beauty of these tree coveredmountains, these mountains are the reason whyWest Virginia has very little farming comparedto other states. Poultry and egg farms accountfor about half of the agricultural economy.

The western part of the state is the AlleghenyPlateau. The major rivers are the Kanawha andLittle Kanawha Rivers. The Monongahela Riverstarts in the mountains and flows through thisplateau north to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

The Ohio River between WestVirginia and Ohio.

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Many of the people of West Virginia are poor,especially those who live in the mountains. Fewof them receive a college education, and manyof the children there grow up in poor health.This has become a great concern, especially aftersome national television programs showed thepoor condition of the children. However, inareas such as the city of Wheeling and the statecapital, Charleston, the government is trying topromote and encourage growth in the economy.As a result, major companies have moved to thestate of West Virginia providing jobs for manyworkers there. In the recession (a time ofunemployment and hard times for business) of2008-2009, even though many surroundingstates were experiencing very highunemployment, these new companies providedmany West Virginia workers new opportunities.

Virginia - The Old Dominion

Rich in History

The state of Virginia is rich in history. Whenstudents of history travel near the York andJames River of eastern Virginia, they will seewhere colonial Williamsburg, Jamestown, andYorktown were settled. When they visit these

South Middle Atlantic States

danger for miners is that at any time explosionscan occur when too much methane gas collectsin the air. Miners can also suffocate and diefrom polluted air. The government, especiallyin recent years, has passed many laws to protectminers from dangers such as these.

Disasters still happen even with the new laws.The Sago Mine Disaster, which occurred incentral West Virginia in January of 2006, was inthe national headlines for several days becausethirteen people suffocated and died after beingtrapped in a cave-in. Only one man survived.After this disaster, Congress passed even morelaws for mine safety.

The coal-mining industry itself in West Virginiais also in danger because environmentalists areconcerned that coal mining hurts theenvironment (climate, soil and air around themine) and they want to stop some of the mining.They are especially concerned with the type ofmining in which mountain tops are removed.President Obama sided with theenvironmentalists when he supportedregulations that make it very difficult for WestVirginia miners to remove mountain tops or tofill in rivers.

Environmentalists are not only concerned aboutthe effect that mining has on the environment,but they also want to protect the scenic beautyof the area.

Charleston is the capital ofWest Virginia

A coal barge on the OhioRiver in West Virginia

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Another president born in Virginia was JamesMadison, our fourth president, who is well-known for his work in helping to write theConstitution, and for his leadership as Presidentduring the War of 1812. In addition, JamesMonroe, our fifth president, William HenryHarrison, our ninth president, John Tyler, ourtenth president, James K. Polk, our eleventhpresident, and Woodrow Wilson, our twenty-eighth president, were all born in Virginia!

The Land

Eastern Virginia is the Atlantic Coastal Plain,also called the Tidewater area, because theocean tides come up the rivers. Many estuariesare located here where the salt water of theocean meets the fresh water of the rivers.

The Chesapeake Bay is an important part ofVirginia’s landforms. When you look at yourmap on page 57 you will see that Virginia is botheast and west of the Bay. Two counties ofVirginia are on the far southern tip of theDelmarva Peninsula. The Chesapeake BayBridge connects these two counties with the restof Virginia, which is west of the Bay. In themiddle of the Bay, the bridge goes down under-water into two different tunnels connecting thetwo parts of Virginia. If you have read the book,Misty of Chincoteague, you will know that this storytakes place on the Island of Assateague, located

South Middle Atlantic States

places, they can actually see what life was likeduring colonial and Revolutionary War days,because historians and archeologists haveworked hard to uncover and recreate these sites.

The nickname of Virginia is the Old Dominionbecause Virginia was loyal to the British kingduring the English Civil War, a war thathappened long before the American Revolution.However, the motto of Virginia is Sic SemperTyrannis, which is Latin for “Thus Always toTyrants.” The motto speaks about the colonistsrebelling against the King of Britain whom theyconsidered to be a tyrant.

Mother of Presidents

Virginia is called the “Mother of Presidents”because eight presidents were born there. It isremarkable that four of our nation’s first fivepresidents were from Virginia. GeorgeWashington’s home, Mount Vernon, is in easternVirginia by the Potomac River, near Washington,D.C. Because at this time there was no organizedwestern exploration, and because maps of thewest had not yet been drawn, GeorgeWashington at one time had hopes that thePotomac River might flow all the way to thewestern ocean. Today, tourists can visit thehouse that Washington inherited from his family.

Monticello, Thomas Jefferson’s home, is also ineastern Virginia. In addition to being our thirdpresident, Jefferson was an avid gardener andscientist. He grew many different kinds ofplants, including some taken from the Lewis andClark expedition to the west.

Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's home 69

Reformed Worldview Perspective: Whenour Constitution was written, Jeffersonwrote that all men are created equal.Yet, both Jefferson and Washingtonowned slaves even though both mendisliked slavery and wanted it to end.What does the Bible say about slavery?

South Middle Atlantic States

off the Atlantic coast of both Maryland andVirginia.

On the top of one mountain in this park, youcan stand in three states at once!

Farming

Tobacco has been an important crop of Virginiasince colonial days, and is still grown in most ofthe farms of central Virginia. Tomatoes have

Reformed Worldview Perspective:Because more and more people areliving near the Bay, there is a concernthat the Bay is becoming too polluted.In 1997, fish died in many of the feederstreams of Chesapeake Bay becausethey ate small organisms that were toxic,containing poisons from lawn fertilizer,farming, and manufacturing. How do weas Christians prevent pollution of thewater?

The coast of Virginia is filled with beaches thatlure tourists to the area. In the southern part ofthe state there once were many swamps thatover the years have been drained for agriculture.Today, the Great Dismal Swamp, located southof Norfolk, is an example of what this arealooked like before it was drained.

The Piedmont is a large part of central Virginia.The fall line continues in this area and providedwater power to towns that began near saw millsin years gone by. Because ships could not gopast the fall line, they had to unload their goodsat these towns.

The Blue Ridge Mountains are the first thin lineof mountains that you come to as you go westin Virginia. The beautiful Shenandoah Valley,to the west of the Blue Ridge Mountains, is anarea where many Civil War battles were fought.The Blue Ridge Parkway is a special highwaythat runs through this scenic area.

The Appalachian Mountains are in the westernpart of the state. Mt. Rogers, with an elevationof 5729 ft., is found here. The beautifulCumberland Gap National Park, a place whereDaniel Boone led settlers through the mountainsto the frontier, is at the western tip of the state.

recently become the crop that gives Virginiafarmers the most income. Grown on theDelmarva Peninsula, tomatoes are used for avariety of foods. Some are sold at markets,while others are sent to food-processing plantswhere they are used to make sauces for foodssuch as pizza. Soybeans and corn are grownmostly to feed the livestock of the Virginiafarms. Other valuable agricultural products ofVirginia are poultry and eggs.

Reformed Worldview Perspective: Thegovernment is trying to reduce theamount of tobacco that is grown inVirginia because tobacco is used forcigarettes. Tests show that cigarettesmoking is harmful to our health. Howshould Christians view smoking?

Tobacco Farmingin Virginia

Economy

The economy of northern Virginia is thriving,especially near our nation’s capital, Washington,D.C. As in other states near this city, many70

South Middle Atlantic States

high-paying jobs are available in government andin businesses that make military equipment forthe government. The Pentagon is an exampleof a government office building with over20,000 employees! The men and women whowork there control the operations of our military.On September 11, 2001, the same day that twoairplanes hit the World Trade Center towers inNew York City, a hijacked plane also hit thePentagon. After that, the security at thePentagon was increased.

The county of Arlington, Virginia has 207,627residents. The area is home to the Net-plex,where many of our nation’s Internet servers arelocated. Internet servers are fast computersthat keep the Internet running. The governmentis concerned because these computers requireso much electricity. Yet, they realize that theInternet is very important today because of theimportance of global communication and thegreat amount of business which is carried onthrough the Internet. Armed guards watch atbusinesses in the Net-plex to make sure thatterrorists do not shut down these servers.

Richmond is the capital of Virginia. This largecity of 204,214 people is in the eastern part ofthe state on the James River. The city is a centerof bio-technology. Bio-technology involvesusing living organisms to make medicines orother products that can help make life betterfor people. One example of bio-technology isusing the living organism, bacteria, to makeinsulin for people with diabetes.

The largest city in Virginia is Virginia Beach onthe Atlantic Ocean. This city of 437,994 peoplehas many high rise apartment buildings and hotelsalong miles of beachfront. Tourists andbeachgoers can walk right onto the beach andenjoy swimming and other pleasurable activities.They can also visit the nearby colonial townsof Jamestown and Williamsburg, whereinteresting historic buildings and good guideshelp visitors to see what life was like in colonialdays.

Just north on the Chesapeake Bay from VirginiaBeach are the cities of Norfolk and NewportNews where important shipyards and portfacilities are found. Major shipbuilders are inthe area, such as the Northrup GrummanCompany in Newport News. This company isthe only one in the United States that buildsaircraft carriers for the United Statesgovernment. It takes more than seven years tobuild an aircraft carrier, providing jobs for21,000 people!

Reformed Worldview Perspective:Bio-technology often allows scientists tocure diseases that hurt people. However,Christians must be aware thatbiotechnology can be used wrongly. Forexample, when a scientist uses anabortion to help find a cure for a disease,then bio-technology is used in a wrongway.

Virginia Beach,Virginia

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A Growing Region

The states of the Southeast Region are NorthCarolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida,most of which are growing in population. Manyretired people are moving to these states becauseof the milder climate. Hispanic people are alsomoving to the region to work, especially in meatprocessing. As the people of the United Statescontinue to eat processed meat, this trend willcontinue.

Although the recession of 2008 and 2009slowed down the economy, business andindustry in the region have been expanding formany years. To the people who live there, thisexpansion was a long time in coming becausethe Civil War (war between the northern andsouthern states) had devastated the land and theeconomy, and it took many years to recover.

One example of job growth is the ResearchTriangle Park (also called RTP), located in NorthCarolina between the cities of Durham, ChapelHill, and Raleigh. The RTP is a large amountof land dedicated to scientific research of newprojects. Research and development companies,often called R&D companies, are businessesthat use science to develop new inventions.

The Land

Just like the South Middle Atlantic States, theSoutheast States have three distinct landforms:the mountains, the Piedmont, and the AtlanticCoastal Plain. These landforms helped definethe people of the region.

Mountains and the Piedmont

The main mountain ranges of the Southeast arethe Blue Ridge Mountains and the AppalachianMountains. These tree-covered mountains arein the western part of the region. MountMitchell in North Carolina is the highest withan elevation of 6684 ft. The famous GreatSmoky Mountain National Park is located in theAppalachian Mountains in western NorthCarolina on the border with Tennessee. Theyare called “smoky” because there is often fog inthe mountains which looks like smoke from adistance. The park with its beautiful scenery

Southeast StatesChapter Five

and interesting wildlife is the most visited parkin the National Park Service.

The Piedmont is found in all of the states exceptFlorida. Three of the capital cities were built inthese foothills: Raleigh, Columbia, and Atlanta.

Coastal Plain and Rivers

The Southeast States region is made up mostlyof the Atlantic Coastal Plain and the GulfCoastal Plain in western Florida. For hundreds

Great Smoky Mountains in NorthCarolina

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73

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Population Map of theSoutheast States

Florida - FLGeorgia - GANorth Carolina - NCSouth Carolina - SC

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levels where animals will not be able to survive.It has passed laws restricting the amount ofwater that people may use.

The coasts of these states have many barrierislands. These narrow islands, which parallelthe coast of the Southeast States for many miles,protect the land from waves and wind for muchof the time, except during hurricanes. The mostwell-known barrier islands are the Outer Banks,located near Cape Hatteras in North Carolina.

Climate

The mountainous regions of North Carolinahave a cool climate, because, as we learnedbefore, the climate in the higher elevations iscooler. Even the rest of North Carolina is coolerthan the states farther south. South Carolina,Georgia, and Florida have a milder climate thanmost of the United States because they are closeto the warm Gulf Stream current of the AtlanticOcean. In Florida, winters are so mild that snowrarely falls.

Hurricanes are always a threat to the SoutheastStates in late summer and fall and people mustbe prepared to evacuate their homes when onethreatens. The most destructive hurricane inthe last hundred years was Hurricane Andrewwhich hit Florida and Louisiana in 1992, causingover 43 billion dollars in damage. As Christians,we stand in awe of God’s power in these strongstorms.

Economy

Farming

Ever since colonial days the farmers of theSoutheastern states have grown tobacco usedto make cigarettes and other tobacco products.The government is concerned that cigarettesmoking is harmful. They have passed laws towarn smokers of the health risks.

Southeast Statesof miles, these coastal plains have beaches,swamps, marshes, bays, and estuaries. This landis filled with swamps which are low, wet areaswhere trees and bushes grow. A swamp isdifferent from a marsh which is a low, wet landwhere cattails and grasses grow. TheOkefenokee Swamp in southeast Georgia is anexample. Because of these swamps andmarshes, the land is not used for homes andbusinesses.

Many of these low areas are around estuaries,places where a slow-moving river meets theocean. The water level of an estuary goes upand down with the tides of the ocean, whichare caused by the gravitational pull betweenEarth, the moon, and the sun. Estuaries areexcellent places for water wildlife such as birds,fish, and other animals to find safety.

Many states are working hard to preserve theselowlands. The best example of this conservationis the Everglades in south Florida. This area isformed by the excess water of LakeOkeechobee, the largest lake in Florida. TheEverglades is a large swamp that is home toalligators, rare birds, and other wildlife. Thesouthwestern part of the area is the EvergladesNational Park. As the population of Floridagrows, the government is concerned that thewater level of the Everglades will go down to

Okefenokee Swamp in southeast Georgia

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with the times. Whereas in the past cigarette andtextile companies once dominated the area,today, research and development companies aremore important in parts of the region.

North Carolina is still the home of some largecigarette companies, and the textile industry inthese states produces cloth for the clothes thatwe wear every day. As we learned before, in the1700s the New England States made the textiles,but when businessmen saw that it was wise tobuild textile factories near the cotton fields, thetextile industry was moved to the South. Today,however, the textile factories of this region arelosing business to textile factories in othercountries.

Food processing is very important, especiallymeat packing. Peanuts, pecans, and other nutsare sold in great amounts all around the world.We will also see that tourism continues to bevery important to these states. Florida and SouthCarolina have many resorts and hotels along theirmiles of beaches.

Southeast States

Another major crop is cotton. In fact, cottonwas so important to the economy before the CivilWar that Southern people called it “KingCotton.” Because cotton needs 180 to 200 frost-free days from planting to harvest, cotton cangrow here because of the longer growing season.Cotton grows on short plants that form a boll(pod) of fluffy cotton in the fall. The chiefproduct from these plants is fabric for clothesand other products.

Cotton is a crop that wears out the soil, takingmany nutrients out of it. After the Civil War,George Washington Carver promoted thegrowth of peanuts and developed over 300 usesof the peanut product. Because of the influenceof George Washington Carver, farmers not onlygrew more peanuts, but they also found out thatgrowing peanuts helped return nutrients,especially nitrogen, to the soil. Many peanutsare grown in Georgia today.

The Southeastern states also have many farmsthat raise young broiler chickens for their meat.Huge buildings house thousands of chickens,especially in the rural areas of the Southeasternstates. Florida grows most of the oranges in theUnited States. These oranges are used mainly toproduce orange juice. The mild climate ofFlorida is important, because with the longgrowing season found there, many of thevegetables we eat in the winter can be producedthere.

Economy

Earlier in the introduction we learned that theeconomy of the Southeast States has changed

Pecans are grown on trees in theSoutheast States.

Reformed Worldview Perspective:Many Christians believe that smoking iswrong. Discuss what our view should beconcerning smoking and the use oftobacco products, especially in light ofgovernment research.

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south had plantations, large farms that producedcotton and other crops using the labor ofAfrican-American slaves. However, in thenorthern states, it was mainly immigrants whoworked in the factories, often doing the workthat nobody else wanted to do.

The plantations of the southern states producedmore and more cotton, and as a result moreslaves and more land were needed. Because ofthis, the northern states feared that slaverywould expand into new states in the west. Thesouthern states continued to think that they had

Southeast States

History

After the American Revolution

After the Revolution, the country continued togrow. Southern businessmen built cities andtowns, especially along the fall line. The NativeAmericans such as the Cherokee, Creek, andSeminole tribes still lived in these areas, andmany wanted to learn the ways of the whiteman. The Cherokee even tried to develop theirown alphabet, so they could read and write likethe Americans.

President Andrew Jackson, born in the Carolinasin 1767, was important to the SoutheasternStates. Jackson became well known as a famousgeneral in the War of 1812 between GreatBritain and America because he won a greatvictory at the battle of New Orleans. GeneralJackson also fought against the NativeAmericans in order to gain land for the UnitedStates. When Jackson became President heexpanded the power of the President. One actwas to force the Native Americans to move fromthe southeastern part of the country to theunsettled west. The route they traveled to movewest, even as far as to Oklahoma, has becomeknown as the “Trail of Tears”.

In the 1800s, the Southeastern States wantedto have good prices and a market for their cottonand tobacco. Because the laws and policies ofthe national government of President Jacksonand those who followed him did not always favorthe cotton and tobacco economy of the south,some of the southern states felt they didn’t haveto listen to the government. This belief becameknown as states' rights.

Slavery and States’ Rights

By 1850, the northern and southern states hadtwo different ways of life. The states in the

the right to do as they pleased even if that meantgoing against the national government. This allled to the Civil War.

The Civil War

The Civil War was fought from 1861-1865. Thehistory of the states of the Southeast region can’tbe understood without knowing what happenedin this terrible war in which over 600,000soldiers lost their lives.

The war began at Fort Sumter in Charleston Bayin 1861. At first the southern states had muchsuccess, especially because of a brilliant generalnamed Robert E. Lee. However, after the

Slave Cabins at Boone Hall Plantationnear Charleston, South Carolina

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The Southeastern states took a very long timeto recover from the Civil War. Even today, manypeople in the south still hold resentment againstthe northern states because of what was donein the war.

North Carolina – The Tar Heel State

History

English and Spanish explorers came to NorthCarolina already in the 1500s. While Sir WalterRaleigh never traveled to America, he is creditedwith persuading Queen Elizabeth to colonizeNorth America. The first English settlement inNorth America was on Roanoke Island in 1587.After beginning to build the town, the leaderwent back to England for supplies. When hecame back, the town was deserted. Only theword “Croaton” was carved on a fencepost.Some people feel that the residents of the “lostcolony” of Roanoke Island went to live withthe Croaton Indians, but nobody knows for sure.

The Carolinas were named after an English Kingnamed Charles II who ruled in the 1660s.Carolina really means “Charles’ Land.” KingCharles gave land to the Lord’s Proprietors, agroup of eight men who supported him in a war.A proprietor was a person who was givenownership of a colony. These men had a difficulttime ruling the colonies because they never livedthere. As a result, the colonists took power tothemselves in Culpeper’s Rebellion whichoccurred in 1677. After two years, order wasrestored, and the proprietors again had control.

In 1712, the Carolinas separated into NorthCarolina and South Carolina, and in 1729 NorthCarolina became an official colony after theBritish government bought it from the Lord’sProprietors. During this time, pirates, includingBlackbeard (Edward Teach), used the outerislands as hideouts for ships and treasure.Blackbeard was killed in 1718 by LieutenantRobert Maynard in a battle at Cape Fear.

Southeast Statesnorthern victory at Gettysburg in July of 1863,the northern army, led by General William T.Sherman, drove deep into Georgia, burningeverything in its path. The people of thesouthern states hated General Sherman becausehe destroyed the city of Atlanta and much ofthe surrounding countryside.

You will recall that the war ended in 1865 atAppomattox Court House in Virginia afterGeneral Ulysses S. Grant had fought GeneralLee in many battles near the two capitals,Richmond and Washington, D.C. After Leesurrendered, other southern armies continuedto fight. The northern armies chased thesouthern army northward through NorthCarolina until they finally surrendered.

Reconstruction to Today

The period in the Southeastern states after thewar is called the Reconstruction. During thistime the United States government gave slavestheir freedom and African-Americans were ableto vote and hold public office. However,because life was still difficult for many formerslaves, the Freedman’s Bureau wasestablished to help former slaves as well as whitepeople. At this time, many former slavesbecame sharecroppers, farmers who rent landand then have to pay part of their earnings backto the owner of the land. The trouble was thatmany former slaves who were sharecroppersnever earned enough to pay off their debt. Atthe same time, groups of white men formed theKu Klux Klan, an organization which terrorizedAfrican Americans who dared to vote orchallenge the white ways.

Reformed Worldview Perspective:The Bible says that God’s church is fromevery tribe and nation. What ought tobe the Christian’s view of people of othernations and races?

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islands were built to protect ships and sailors.The coastal islands protect the mainland fromerosion and the effects of hurricanes.

The coastal plain of North Carolina has a largenumber of swamps with cypress trees, many ofwhich have been drained for economic reasons.One of these swamps on the border withVirginia is the Dismal Swamp, which we studiedin the last chapter. Inland from the coast issavannah which is open ground with few trees.

West of the coastal plain, the Piedmont rolls upto the mountains. Much of the soil of thePiedmont has a reddish tint due to the red clayin the area. Many of North Carolina’s large citiesare in this region.

Western North Carolina contains the southernedge of the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains. Aswe mentioned before, tourists to this area oftenvisit the Great Smoky Mountain National Parkwhere they can see wildlife such as black bearsand deer. Gorgeous waterfalls cascade down

Southeast States

After the colony was formed, many settlersmoved from the northern colonies to settle inthe state. Daniel Boone moved with his fatherto North Carolina in 1750, although DanielBoone himself never stayed in the same placefor long. When the Revolutionary War began,colonists did not know which side to take in thewar. There were Tories, people loyal to the kingof Britain, and patriots, who were against theking. In the battle of King’s Mountain (1780)patriot forces decisively defeated a Tory army.Some people believe that this battle was theturning point in the war because it stopped theadvance of British forces in the south.

North Carolina became part of the United Statesafter this war. During the 1800s, North Carolinagrew rapidly as a slave state, and at the beginningof the Civil War, North Carolina was the laststate to secede (break away) from the UnitedStates. After General Lee surrendered atAppomattox, Confederate troops under GeneralJoseph T. Johnston continued to fight until theywere defeated and finally surrendered after thebattle of Bentonville in 1865. Reconstructionwas a difficult time for North Carolina as it waswith most southern states recovering from thewar.

During the early 1900s, the Wright Brothersmade their historic flights at Kitty Hawk, onthe coast of North Carolina. Their inventionwould eventually change the way peopletravelled.

The Land

North Carolina is a large state with Virginia tothe north and South Carolina to the south.Tennessee borders the state on the west andGeorgia on the southwest. Cape Hatteras andCape Fear, so named by sailors because theshifting sands near them often resulted inshipwrecks, are a part of the coastal barrierislands. Beautiful lighthouses found on these

The Wright Brothers flying near KittyHawk, North Carolina in the early1900s.

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the mountain sides here. Asheville is a beautifultown in this part of the state where visitors oftenvisit the Biltmore Mansion, a beautiful, largehome built by George W. Vanderbilt.

Plants in North Carolina are different from thosein the northern states because it is warmer.Swamps often have cypress trees with mossesdraped on them. Rhododendrons grow verylarge in the mountains. A plant called kudzuhas become a scourge to the southern states.This vine was brought from Asia in the 1870sto help control river erosion, but today it growseverywhere and crowds out other plants.

Biltmore Mansion

Reformed Worldview Perspective:Sometimes it is harmful to introduce newplants or animals to an area. How canChristian scientists and farmers be goodstewards of God’s creation when theyare planting?

Farming

The rich clay soils of the Piedmont are suitedfor tobacco farms. Because of this, NorthCarolina leads the nation in growing tobacco.For many years the tobacco industry shaped theeconomy of North Carolina, and owners of thetobacco companies made millions of dollars,investing some of the money in colleges suchas Duke University.

Because a tobacco plant has a thick leaf thatmust be cured (preserved) after harvesting, mostof the tobacco which is produced in NorthCarolina is flue-cured tobacco. In this process,

farmers heat the tobacco by passing air througha flue (pipe). After the tobacco turns from greento yellow and finally dries, the tobacco is usedfor cigarettes and other products.

North Carolina also leads the nation in sweetpotato production. This type of potato, grownmostly in the central and northeastern part ofthe state, is reddish in color and is very nutritious.Like some other southern states, North Carolinafarms raise many broilers, turkeys, and hogs formeat. Cotton is still grown in the central part ofthe state to supply the many textile mills.

Economy

In the introduction to the Southeast States, wenoted that North Carolina is leading the nationin research and development. Involved in thisdevelopment are the cities of Durham,Greensboro, Winston-Salem, and the capital cityof Raleigh, all rapidly growing cities located inthe center of the state with populations of225,000 to 405,000.

The largest city in North Carolina is Charlottewith a population of 731,424 in 2010. BecauseCharlotte has a variety of businesses such astransportation, banks, and health services, it hasa vibrant economy. A wide variety of businessesis good because if one type of business losesmoney, the city has other businesses to keep its

Raleigh is the capital of NorthCarolina. The city is growing inpopulation and business. 81

against the French and the Spaniards. In theYamasee War of 1715-1716, the Indian tribesof the area, including the Cherokee and theCatawba (Cah TAH ba) who had been pushedout of Florida and Georgia, banded together andalmost succeeded in driving the colonists out.As a result, English settlement of SouthCarolina almost came to a halt when hundredsof settlers were killed. Many terrified colonistsfled to Charleston, and by 1721 the populationwas close to 20,000, making it a large city inthose days. In the end, the British settlers, withthe help of Virginians and a group of CherokeeIndians who had made a treaty with SouthCarolina, defeated the Yamasee Indians.

The colony grew rice, wheat, tobacco, andindigo (a plant that produces a blue dye), andthe port of Charleston became the main placeto ship these products. Because farmers in thelow country near the coast were plantationfarmers that had slaves, Charleston also becamea major slave trading center, and today visitorscan go to the Slave Mart Museum in the city tosee the history of the slave trade. The farmersin the up-country to the west did not haveslaves, and over the years, these two groups offarmers were “at odds” with each other. To thisday, people in South Carolina are either fromthe “up-country” or the “low country.”

In 1729 South Carolina officially split away fromNorth Carolina. Later, during the AmericanRevolution, Charleston came under attack bythe British. In 1776, the colonists successfullydefended the city, fighting from a fort built ofpalmetto logs, which is part of the reason forthe state nickname, “Palmetto State”. But fouryears later, in 1780, the British were able toconquer Charleston and control the city for twoyears. As we learned earlier, Charleston’s FortSumter was the place where the Civil Warstarted. Today you can take a boat ride to theisland and hear the story of Fort Sumter fromtrained guides.

Southeast Stateseconomy strong. Large companies such as Bankof America and Time Warner Cable haveheadquarters there.

The textile industry flourished for many yearsbecause cotton fields were nearby. But recently,global competition has hurt the industry andmany people have lost their jobs. Globalcompetition means that many companiesaround the world are attempting to manufacturetextiles more cheaply and with good quality,causing a concern for the companies here in theUnited States. They realize that the workers inpoorer nations can make quality textile productsfor much lower wages than workers are paid inthe United States.

However, North Carolina is confident that theywill emerge from the poor economy of recentyears. The state is trying to attract newbusinesses with the promise that with manynon-union workers available they can providecheaper labor for manufacturing.

Reformed Worldview Perspective:A union is a group of workers who bandtogether against their employer in orderto try to get benefits for themselves.Often, they refuse to work (go on a strike)if they don’t get paid enough. Whatdoes the Bible say about how we are toact toward our employers?

South Carolina – The Palmetto State

History

Charleston was founded by the British in 1670after French and Spanish settlements failed inthe Carolinas in the 1500s. But in the early 1700sthe British settlers had to defend themselves82

broilers and eggs are the most importantagriculture products. This area also hasnumerous farms that produce nursery productsfor the landscape industry. Cattle are raised inthe north and contribute much to the state’seconomy.

South Carolina is second in the nation in theproduction of flue-cured tobacco, collard greens,and peaches. Most of the peach orchards are inthe northern part of the state. Because thefarmers constantly have to think of ways toprevent frost from damaging their peaches, theyusually plant the trees on higher ground to avoidthe frost of the lower areas. Since peach treestake many years to grow into a mature tree, thefarmers must prune (cut off some branches)the trees to ensure good growth and better fruit.

Economy

The economy of South Carolina lags behindmany of its neighboring states. In fact, the stateranks 41st in the nation in the amount of moneythat the average family makes. One of thereasons for this is that few importantcorporations have their headquarters in SouthCarolina. The major industries of the state are

Southeast StatesThe Up-Country and the Low Country

South Carolina has a triangular shape. NorthCarolina lies all along the northern border ofthe state while the Savannah River forms mostof the border with Georgia to the southwest andthe Atlantic Ocean is on the east. The two mainlandforms of the state are the up-country andthe low country.

You might think that the up-country ismountainous in South Carolina, but if you lookat the landform map on page 74, you will seethat the Blue Ridge Mountains only cover thenorthwestern tip of the state. The WhitewaterFalls and Raven Cliff Falls are two beautifulwaterfalls in this mountain area. The highestpoint in the state, Sassafras Mountain, has anelevation of 3,560 feet. The Piedmont Plateaucovers most of the up-country region. Fromthis area, rivers such as the Pee Dee River andthe Catawba River flow down to the ocean.While much of the soil of this region is reddishin color, a region of sandy soil cuts through themiddle of the state.

The low country, found near the Atlantic coast,is a distinct contrast to the up-country. Theclimate here is oppressively hot and humid inthe summer. Swamps and bays are found alongthe coastline with beautiful beaches and islands,such as Hilton Head Island, in the southern partof the state. The most famous bay is CharlestonBay. North of there is the Francis MarionNational Forest, named after Francis Marion, afamous general in the American Revolutionwhose nickname was the “Swamp Fox.”

Farming

Cotton is still grown in the low country althoughit is not as important as in the past. Much timberis harvested in the forests near the coast.

South Carolina is home to many turkey andbroiler farms, especially in the up-country where

The U.S.S. Yorktown was an aircraftcarrier in the U.S. Navy during WorldWar II. Today, it is a floating musuemin Charleston Harbor

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Roman Catholic mission churches along thecoast. In the late 1500s, pirates from Englandand France often attacked and plundered thesesettlements. You have probably read about thefamous pirate, Blackbeard, who lived at thistime. In the late 1600s the English defeated theSpaniards and drove them down to St.Augustine, located in what is now Florida.

The English strengthened their presence in theSoutheast Atlantic area when James Oglethorpeasked the British government to set up a colonyfor poor people who were in debt and had beensentenced to debtor’s prison. Oglethorpesucceeded in getting a charter for the colony ofGeorgia in 1732, mainly because King GeorgeII wanted a colony for trade money. It alsoformed a buffer state between South Carolinaand Florida. A buffer state is a settlement whosepurpose is to prevent a war between the twomore important regions on either side.

In 1733, Oglethorpe settled an area which laterbecame the city of Savannah at the mouth ofthe Savannah River. The laws of the settlementdid not allow people to own land or have slaves.In a few years, however, the settlers began tocomplain because they wanted to own their ownland and have slaves just like farmers in othercolonies nearby. After 1752, when the Britishcrown took over the colony, the region grewbecause white people were now allowed to ownslaves.

Soon after the British takeover, rebel patriots inthe colony of Georgia joined the fight againstBritain in the American Revolution. Because thecolony was so young, some of the peopleremained loyal to Britain and fought along withtheir British allies. The British wanted to keepcontrol of Savannah, so they captured it in 1778.When George Washington heard of this, he sent

Southeast States

chemical factories and textile manufacturing.Textile production has been a leading industryfor many years, especially in the up-country,because companies built many mills near the fallline. Today, Aiken, Spartanburg, Greenville, andLancaster are home to textile mills.

The largest city is the capital, Columbia, with apopulation of 129,272 people. The port ofCharleston is very important to the state’seconomy because products that are producedin the state usually are exported to othercountries through this port. Large containerdocks line parts of the bay, and huge intermodalships can be seen daily under a new modernbridge across the bay.

Tourism plays a foremost role in South Carolina’seconomy. Charleston is an historic city on theSouth Carolina coast with a beautiful bay and acharming historic district. Visitors can ridehorse-drawn carriages down cobblestone streetspast old homes that have been rebuilt. HiltonHead Island and Myrtle Beach are popularvacation stops for leisure travelers who stay inexpensive hotels and play on the beautiful golfcourses. Charleston has 120,083 people andNorth Charleston has 97,471 people.

Georgia – The Empire State of theSouth

History

The land that is now Georgia was first discoveredby Spanish explorers as early as the 1500s.Hernando De Soto passed through Georgia in1540 on his expedition to find gold in NorthAmerica. De Soto was a conquistador, aSpanish explorer who desired to conquer newlands for the Spanish crown. Although his searchfor gold was a failure and he died in 1542, theSpanish stayed in the land and built forts and

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Southeast StatesGeneral Benjamin Lincoln to retake Savannah.In October of 1779, Lincoln attacked the Britishin Savannah with the help of a French fleet ofships and a Polish nobleman, Count CasimirPulaski, who came to America to help thecolonists fight for freedom. The attempt toretake Savannah failed, and in a daring assault,Count Pulaski died with many of his troops asthey charged the British.

After the failure to recapture Savannah, patriottroops continued to fight the loyalists. Finally,in 1781, “Light Horse” Harry Lee and AndrewPickens defeated the British at Augusta and thevictorious Americans entered Savannah the nextyear. With the Treaty of Paris in 1783, Georgiaand America were granted independence byBritain.

In the years following the war, settlers continuedto move west, pushing out the Native Americantribes such as the Creek and the Cherokee. Landwas cultivated for cotton and other crops onlarge plantations where slaves worked for theirwhite masters. When the Civil War came,Georgia seceded from the Union and joined theConfederacy. Georgia paid a heavy price forthis, because as we learned in the introduction,Union General William T. Sherman in his“March to the Sea” defeated Atlanta, burned itto the ground, and devastated the countrysideof Georgia all the way to the ocean. Georgiawould take many years to recover from the CivilWar.

The Land

Georgia is the largest state east of the MississippiRiver. South Carolina and Tennessee lie to thenorth of the state, while the state of Alabamais to the west. Along the entire southern borderis the state of Florida.

The landforms of Georgia are similar to manyof the other states that we have studied in theSoutheast States. The mountains are located in

the northern part of the state where we also findthe beginnings of many rivers with NativeAmerican names. The Chattahoochee River runsfrom the center of the state and forms much ofthe southwestern border with Alabama, and theSavannah River forms much of the border withSouth Carolina.

The Savannah River near Savannah,Georgia

The center of Georgia contains the Piedmontand the fall line hills where the land descendsdown toward the sea. The coastal plain has manybays and swamps. The best known one is theOkefenokee Swamp in southeastern Georgia,the second largest freshwater swamp in theUnited States.

Farming

Georgia leads the nation in the production ofpeanuts, pecans, rye, eggs, and broilers, makingit very important to the agriculture of ourcountry. Georgia produces about half of theannual national harvest of peanuts (often called“goobers” in Georgia). This is why Georgia issometimes called the “Goober State”. Peanutsare a type of legume, which are plants that growtheir fruit in pods. As we learned earlier, GeorgeWashington Carver is credited with promotingthe growth of peanuts in this state. Today, peanutproduction is important because numerous foodproducts are made with peanuts, such as candybars and peanut butter. Pecan nuts, which growon a tree, are used for making pies, candy bars, 85

affected by the recession, many majorcorporations have their headquarters in Atlanta,such as Coca-Cola, Home Depot, and UnitedParcel Service. The Weather Channel, seen oncable TV, has its headquarters there. TodayAtlanta is becoming a large metropolitan areawith over five million people. Its airport is oneof the busiest in the nation because the city iscentrally located in the South.

Southeast States

Reformed Worldview Perspective:Recently, many people in NorthAmerica have developed peanutallergies. This means that if someonewith the peanut allergy touches a peanutor eats something with even traces ofpeanut he or she can get sick. For thisreason, businesses are now required tolist the ingredients in their foods. Howwould Christians in the food business actif they know that a food has peanut in it?Also discuss what changes we mighthave to make in our school if a classmatehas a serious allergy?

About three-fourths of the counties in Georgiaraise broilers which are sold in many other states.Because of this, the meat that comes from thesechickens must be inspected by the governmentbefore it is shipped to be sure that it is clean.Companies are required to print information onthe packages telling consumers when the meathas to be used. In the past years, the governmenteven closed companies that did not meet itsstandards.

Peach orchards are found around Atlanta andin the middle of the state of Georgia. Georgiahas always been known for its peaches, eventhough other states raise more than Georgia.

Economy

The state of Georgia, with Atlanta as its capital,is an economic powerhouse in the southeasternUnited States. While Georgia has also been

Reformed Worldview Perspective:Georgia also is an important trade centerin the world. The state is actively tryingto gain trade with China, the largestmarket in the world. There are manyquestions that Christians have abouttrade with China. Should the UnitedStates trade with a nation that clearlypersecutes Christians? ShouldChristians buy products that are mostlikely made by workers who are treatedpoorly?

and other foods. Groves of pecan trees arelocated mostly in southwestern Georgia. Theyare harvested by shaking the tree and pickingthe nuts up from the ground.

Other cities in Georgia also have largecorporations located near them. Savannah, aport city with a population of 136,286 people,is the home to International Paper, Gulf StreamAirplanes, and JCB Construction Equipment.Valdosta, with its population of 54,518, islocated in the southern part of the state, and iswell known for the production of turpentine.

The textile industry continues to be importantin Georgia. However, foreign competition, aswe have noted, is having a harmful effect onthe industry.

Florida – The Sunshine State

History

Florida, or “the flowery one,” was named by aSpanish explorer named Ponce De Leon(PAHNTS seh day lee OWN). After his first

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Land

Florida is a large state that has borders with onlytwo states to the north, Georgia and Alabama.The long Florida Panhandle extends to the westin the northern part of the state, and south ofthe Panhandle is the large Florida Peninsulanearly surrounded with water.

The land of Florida is very low because muchof the state is made up of the Gulf Coastal Plainand the Atlantic Coastal Plain. The GulfCoastal Plain is on the west side of the FloridaPeninsula and the southern part of the FloridaPanhandle. These low areas have manybeaches, inlets, bays, and barrier islands. NearPensacola in the northwest, tourists can visitlong sand barrier islands, and near Tampa andSt. Petersburg in central Florida, they can takea boat through Tampa Bay out to the Gulf ofMexico. A gulf is a large body of salt waterthat is surrounded almost entirely by land. Thelarge body of water to the southwest of Floridais the Gulf of Mexico.

The Atlantic Coastal Plain makes up the entireeastern shore of the Florida Peninsula. It alsohas long stretches of barrier islands. Off thecoast of south Florida, divers can enjoy exploringthe coral reefs. These beautiful reefs take manyyears to grow and develop and are protected aspreserves.

Southeast Statestrip to Florida in 1513, he returned to attempt asettlement in the region. In a battle with theCalusa, a Native American tribe, he waswounded and later died from a poison arrow.Later, in 1539, Hernando De Soto began hisexploration of the southeastern United Statesin Florida. In 1559, another explorer from Spainestablished Pensacola in the panhandle region,only to see it abandoned two years later in 1561due to a hurricane and battles with the nativetribes. The successful Spanish settlement ofFlorida began in 1564 when St. Augustine wasfounded, giving the town the honor of beingthe oldest European city in the United States.

For a long time, settlers from various Europeannations came to settle in Florida, and later slavesfrom other southern states fled to Florida forfreedom. In the 1700s, Britain became interestedin ruling Florida. After the treaty of Paris in1763, Florida became a part of France, thoughnot for long. During the American Revolution,while Britain was fighting the Americans, Spainsneaked in and retook control of Pensacola. So,at the end of the war, Spain again ruled Florida.

During the 1800s, the struggle for the rule ofFlorida continued with the Seminole Wars.During one of these wars, a well-knownSeminole leader named Osceola (ah see OH lah)was finally captured and imprisoned. SomeSeminoles remain in Florida today because theyrefused to give up their land, while many wereforced to move to reservations in the Plainsstates.

After the first Seminole War in 1818, the UnitedStates took over Florida. When the Civil Warbegan, Florida became part of the ConfederateStates of America. Then, when the South lostthe war, Florida again was returned to the UnitedStates. As you can see, from the 1700s to theearly 1800s, many nations ruled over Florida!

Coral reef near Florida

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juice this morning it probably came from Florida,because over eighty percent of the United Statesorange crop is grown in the state. Oranges, alongwith tangerines, nectarines, and grapefruit arecalled citrus fruits, and are known for theirsharp taste. Citrus growers are very careful toprotect their orchards from frost during thegrowing season because frost can badly damagetheir crop. While Florida’s climate is usuallymild, the following are four things growers areprepared to do when a frost threatens. First, theyprevent frost damage by planting trees on higherground, thus making sure that the cold air canflow to the lowest area away from the trees.Second, if a frost is forecast, they place heatersalong the rows. Third, farmers use fans or evenhelicopters to bring warmer air to the groves.Fourth, large sprinklers may be used to spread athin coat of ice over the crop to prevent thefrost from spoiling the fruit.

A number of vegetables are also grown in thecentral part of the state, including tomatoes,peppers, cucumbers, and other crops. Accordingto the United States Department of Agriculture,eighty percent of the fresh vegetables consumedin the United States during January, February,and March are grown in Florida! This is possiblebecause of Florida’s milder climate.

Sugarcane is grown in Florida south of LakeOkeechobee. These plants with high stalks needmuch water to grow. After harvest, sugar isproduced in a food processing plant for use inmany sweet food products. This farming areaalso produces sod for Florida’s landscapeindustry, another important part of Florida’sagriculture.

Southeast States

The Florida Keys is a large group of islands thatstring out to the west from the southern end ofFlorida. You can travel across the Keys by carover a very long system of bridges. Sinceresidents of the Keys have only one evacuationroute, they are constantly aware of the dangerof hurricanes. Key West is a large communitylocated at the south end of the Keys.

Florida’s highest point is a mere 345 feet inWalton County to the northwest. This is partof the Florida Uplands that are located in theFlorida Panhandle and down the center of theFlorida Peninsula. The state of Florida is alsoknown for its many lakes, rivers, and wetlands.As we learned in the introduction to theSoutheast States, the Everglades are in thesouthern part of Florida, with the water of thislarge wetland coming from a large, shallow lakecalled Lake Okeechobee. Florida’s lake countryis in the center of the state, and like almost allof the state, it is at risk for sinkholes. There aremany sinkholes here because Florida is madeup of limestone that can fall apart when it comesin contact with acid rainwater. It is notuncommon for a house to fall into a sinkhole orfor an entire lake to drain away! Because ofthe limestone soil, Florida also has manyunderground rivers and caves. The major riversof Florida are the Apalachicola in the northwestand the Suwannee in the north central part ofthe state.

Farming

When people think of Florida agriculture, theythink of Florida oranges. If you had some orange

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Florida such as Tampa (335,709), St. Petersburg(244,769), and Orlando (238,300) have manyamusement parks. The most well-known one isDisney World in Orlando. Fishing is also animportant tourist activity as well as acommercial industry.

Southeast States

Economy

Tourism is the major industry of Florida. Eachyear, especially in the winter, millions of touristsinvade Florida’s cities and beaches. Miami, witha population of 399,457, has many beachesalong the Atlantic Coast. Other large cities in

Miami, Florida

Reformed Worldview Perspective: It isallowed for Christians to take a vacation.However, we live in a world that seekspleasure as the most important thing.How do you know when you lovepleasure more than God? What doesScripture say about this?

Tampa, Florida

In addition to the people that go to Florida forvacation, many people choose to retire therebecause of the mild weather. A retired personis somebody who does not work regularlybecause he or she is too old to work or hasgathered enough money to live comfortably. Inrecent years, the economy of Florida has notdone well, and many people can not pay backthe money that they borrowed to buy their

houses. As a result, many homes haveforeclosed. A foreclosed house is one that thebank takes back from the owner because he cannot pay his mortgage (money owed to the bankfor a house). The family must then move out oftheir home. Because of foreclosures, some areasof Florida and other parts of the country havemuch crime because of the vacant homes in theneighborhoods.

Reformed Worldview Perspective: Arecession is a time when people do nothave as much money as they are usedto having. How does a Christian live in arecession? Often, in a recession, peoplewill declare bankruptcy. When a persondeclares bankruptcy, he or she can notpay back what is owed. The bank thencollects as much as it can from them. Inaddition, the person who declaresbankruptcy does not pay back the manybills that he owes to numerous debtors.Discuss how covetousness and stealingare related to bankruptcy in manyinstances.

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Southeast States

Jacksonville, Florida

Along with the tourism industry, many Floridaresidents make their living by working inimportant government jobs. Cape Canaveral,on the Atlantic coast, is the place where theSpace Shuttle is launched from the KennedySpace Center. Naval and Air Force bases arealso located in Tampa, Pensacola, Key West andJacksonville.

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Introduction

The Great Lakes States region is home to someof the largest fresh water lakes in the world,estimated to hold one-fifth of the world’s freshwater supply. The five states in this region,Illinois (ILL ih NOY), Indiana, Michigan, Ohio,and Wisconsin touch four of the great lakesincluding Lake Michigan, Lake Superior, LakeHuron, and Lake Erie. The water from the lakesis very important for industry and for the citiesin this region.

Land

The Great Lakes States land is mostly plains,especially in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and in thesouthern part of the Lower Peninsula inMichigan. The Upper Peninsula and northernparts of the Lower Peninsula in Michigan havelow mountains and highlands. NorthernWisconsin also has high hills with many rockyareas.

Two major rivers in the region are the MississippiRiver on the region’s western border and theOhio River on the southern border. Numeroussmaller rivers feed into these rivers.

Climate

The residents of the Great Lakes experience agreat variety of weather because of the fourseasons. In the winter, Michigan, Ohio, and thenorthwest part of Indiana can receive muchlake-effect snow, while areas in the southern partof the region are generally milder with less snow.The shoreline areas are also relatively warmerin early winter because of the warm lake waters.Even though spring and summer in the Great

Lakes can be very pleasant, strongthunderstorms often drop heavy rain. Thetemperatures can also be hot and humid in thesummer, but not as humid as the states in thesouthern part of the United States. Fall is abeautiful time in the Great Lakes. Even thoughthe nights may have frost, the days are warm,with sunshine, so that residents can enjoy theoutdoors and view the beautiful fall colors.

Economy

The once strong industrial economy of the GreatLakes suffered in the recession that began in2008. Many of the states in this region havehigher unemployment (people out of work)than in other parts of the country. One of thereasons for this is that people do not want tobuy a new car in a poor economy or they cannotget loans to buy new cars. As a result, steel millsand car factories have either slowed down theirproduction or have closed completely.Consumers (people who buy products) are also

Great Lakes StatesChapter Six

buying more and more foreign cars because oflower costs and good workmanship (carefulattention to assembling cars).

The automobile and steel industries flourishedin the area for many years mainly because ofthe Great Lakes. Not only do the lakes provide

A truck assembly plant

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Maps.com

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Population Map of theGreat Lakes States

Illinois - ILIndiana - INMichigan - MIOhio - OHWisconsin - WI

Great Lakes Statesfresh water which is needed in production, butships can use the Great Lakes shipping routesto transport raw materials such as iron and coalwhich are needed to make steel. Ships also carrysteel and finished products to markets aroundthe world because the Great Lakes areconnected to the Atlantic Ocean by the St.Lawrence Seaway. Also, barges travel south tothe Mississippi River through a system of canalsand rivers in Illinois.

Farmers in the Great Lakes States grow manycrops, especially corn and soybeans. Manyproducts are made from these crops, includingfood products for animals and people, fertilizers,ethanol, gasoline, and biodiesel fuel. Farmersin the Great Lakes States also raise fruits,vegetables, and dairy products which are soldnationwide and to nearby markets.

Mining continues to be important to the GreatLake States. Starting about 100 years ago, ironore deposits in the northern part of the regionwere shipped to mills in great amounts so thatsteel products could be made. The rich depositsof coal and limestone found in southern Indianaand Illinois are being used today in theproduction of electricity and steel.

History

The Great Lakes have had an important impacton the history of the region. Native Americantribes such as the Ojibwa, the Ottawa, and thePotawatomie were some of the many tribes inthe area. French explorers Joliet (zhohl YAY)and Marquette (mar KET) explored the area in1673. When you follow their route on the map,you will see that they started in Lake Michiganand came up the Fox River into Wisconsin. Aftercarrying their supplies overland, they took theircanoes down the Wisconsin River to theMississippi. While on the Mississippi River(which they called the Great River) near presentday Arkansas, they met Native Americans who

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told them that white men were ahead “severaldays journey”. Fearing Spanish attack, theyturned around and went back up the river to theIllinois river and returned to Lake Michigan.

Marquette and Joliet’s trip showed the way formore French settlement in the Great LakesStates. Early French trading posts and fortsfounded on their trips grew into towns and citiessuch as Chicago and Detroit. The Frenchinfluence ended in the Great Lakes area at theend of the French and Indian War in 1763, whenthe British took control of the Great LakesRegion.

The region became part of the United States ofAmerica in 1783 after the American Revolution.At this time, the Great Lakes States were knownas the Northwest Territory ( only part ofMinnesota was in the territory). In 1787, theUnited States government established theNorthwest Ordinance, a group of laws thatwould govern the settlement of the NorthwestTerritory. Each state had surveys (landmeasurements) done so that the governmentcould sell the land in an organized way. Eachstate was divided into square townships whichincluded even smaller squares called sections(one square mile). The Northwest Ordinancealso set aside one section in each township for aschool. You can still see where the sections arelocated today because roads were often built onthe edges of the squares. Under the NorthwestOrdinance slavery was not allowed in theterritory. This part of the law would eventuallylead to the states remaining in the United Statesduring the Civil War.

The War of 1812 was fought in the Great LakesStates, with several of the battles fought in theDetroit area. Before the war, an important battlewas fought at Tippecanoe in Northwest Indiana.General William H. Harrison defeated a groupof Native Americans led by an influential Native

Settlers came to Ohio in great numbers, usingthe Erie Canal and the Great Lakes as well assome overland paths. After Ohio became a statein 1803, the United States fought the War of1812 against the British and their NativeAmerican allies. This was of great concern tothe people of Ohio because they knew that theNative Americans wanted their land back. Onegreat battle of this war took place on Lake Eriewhen Admiral Oliver H. Perry defeated theBritish. Perry’s victorious words after the battlewere, “We have met the enemy and they areours.” With this victory and the close of thewar, the Ohio country returned to relative peace.

After the war, settlers continued to stream intoOhio, many using the National Road. Startingin Maryland, this government road wended itsway through Wheeling, West Virginia, and theninto Ohio. Later, the road was extended all theway to Vandalia, in the middle of Illinois. Earlyfarmers and businessmen in Ohio also used theroad to transport their goods. Today, you canstill follow parts of the old route across centralOhio.

In the 1800s and 1900s, Ohio became knownas a birthplace of presidents because seven menborn in Ohio later led our nation as president!Ulysses S. Grant was possibly the most famousof these men because he helped lead thenorthern states to victory in the Civil War.However, Grant’s presidency also saw muchcorruption, which means that people used theirgovernment jobs not to help the people, butrather, to gain power and money for themselvesand their friends. Sadly, other 19th century Ohiopresidents and government officials also had thisproblem.

Ohio continued to grow as a state of businessand invention. Two notable inventors wereOrville and Wilbur Wright from Dayton, Ohio.

Great Lakes States

American leader called Tecumseh. Throughoutthis time period, the United States signed manytreaties with Native American tribes and whitesettlement followed. Ohio was the first of theGreat Lakes States to gain statehood in 1803,and Wisconsin the last, in 1848.

Ohio - The Buckeye State

History

The Ohio River, which means “beautiful river”to the Seneca tribe of Native Americans, hasbeen used as a highway for many years bysettlers, farmers, and businesses. The firstEuropeans to hear of this river and the Ohiocountry were the French. Historians believe thatJoliet and La Salle (La SAL) explored parts ofOhio in the 1660s and 1670s.

In the years following their exploration, manybattles between the Americans and the NativeAmericans were fought. The most importantbattle was the Battle of Fallen Timbers, foughtin 1794, during which General Anthony Waynedefeated a united force of Native Americansunder the leadership of a Shawnee chief namedBlue Jacket. After the American victory, theTreaty of Greenville opened up much of Ohioto American and European settlement.

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Tippecanoe Battlefield in Northwest Indiana

Lake Erie, shallowest of the five Great Lakes,forms much of the northern border of Ohio.In the 1960s the lake was in big trouble due tothe pollution that was being dumped into thelake, especially by factories. At one point in the1960s, people called Lake Erie a dead lakebecause of the algae (AL gee) and pollution

Great Lakes States

We learned earlier that the Wright brothers madethe first flight in North Carolina. Yet, Dayton,Ohio, was the place where the brothers perfectedthe science of flying. The United States Air ForceMuseum, located near Dayton, is a great placeto visit to learn more about the history of flight.

Land

Much of west and northwest Ohio is flatter andless hilly than the rest of the state, with thelowest land in the northern part along thesouthern shore of Lake Erie. The soil in theseareas is very fertile so that crops grow well. Incontrast, many more hills and forests are foundin the south and eastern part of Ohio, wherethe Appalachian Mountains begin. The soil isnot as fertile there, so there are fewer farms.However, resources such as wood and mineralsare found in abundance there. The state of Ohiois called the Buckeye State after a tree calledthe buckeye, a shrub or tree in the horse-chestnutfamily.

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found in the water. Since that time, the stateand federal governments have spent much moneyand made laws to clean up the water. The UnitedStates government has had to work extra hardat controlling the amount of algae that grows inthe water of Lake Erie and the surrounding riverwaters. When too much algae grows on thesurface of the water, there is little oxygen left inthe water, causing the fish to die. The loss ofoxygen in the water due to the growth of algaeand other plants in the water is called the processof eutrophication (U trof ih KAY tion). Thisoften occurs because too much fertilizer drainsfrom surrounding pastures and farmland into thewater. Other kinds of pollution have alsoaffected rivers in Ohio. The Cuyahoga River,near Cleveland, Ohio, was so polluted by an oilslick that it caught fire several times! The lastfire in 1969 brought national attention to thepollution of rivers.

A leaf from a Buckeye Tree

The Cuyahoga River - Cleveland, Ohio

Besides Lake Erie, Ohio has other major bodiesof water, mainly rivers. In the northwest, theMaumee River flows to Lake Erie near Toledo.In the south, the Ohio River forms the entiresouthern border of Ohio. Smaller rivers suchas the Muskingum (Muh SKING um), the Scioto(Sigh OH tah), and the Miami Rivers all flow

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Farming

Corn and soybeans are the most important cropsfor the agricultural economy of Ohio. The fertileground of northern and western Ohio producesa great amount of these two crops, which areused mainly as feed for livestock. Corn fromhere is also used to produce ethanol as fuel forautomobiles. Besides these two crops, Ohioleads the nation in making Swiss cheese and isone of the top producers of pumpkins in theUnited States.

Reformed Worldview Perspective: Godcalls us to be good stewards of the waterin our lakes and streams. What aresome things Christians can do toproperly use fertilizer and chemicals ontheir land so that the water stays clean?

southward into the Ohio River. The capital ofOhio, Columbus, is on the Scioto River in thecenter of the state.

State capitol building in downtown Columbus

including automobiles, trucks, and airplanes.Steel mills are found in cities such as Cleveland(population 396,815), Youngstown (population66,982) and Cincinnati. The recession that beganin 2008 hit the state very hard and many peoplelost their jobs. Over the last several years, anumber of Ohio cities have decreased inpopulation because people are moving to thesuburbs or to other states.

Akron (population 199,110) is home to theGoodyear Tire Company, a large corporationthat produces rubber tires for cars and trucks.The city is has many other high technologycompanies. The City of Dayton (population141,527) was known for the NCR Cash RegisterCompany, but the company has now moved to

Great Lakes States

The state of Ohio produces many eggs, secondonly to the state of Iowa in egg production.Many of Ohio’s egg farms are called factoryfarms because laying hens are confined to smallcages in stacked rows. After the eggs aregathered, they are shipped on the highway tomarkets by semi-trucks. Because the amount ofwaste and manure from these chickens is asmuch as the waste produced by some cities, thepublic health departments make sure that thewaste is disposed of properly.

Economy

Cities in Ohio have many factories that produceproducts related to the transportation industry,

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Cincinnati, Ohio, is on the Ohio River

Great Lakes States

Georgia, an example of why many of Ohio’scities have lost jobs and people. However,airplane research and production is a bright spotfor Dayton, Ohio, hometown of Orville andWilbur Wright.

Cincinnati (population 296,943) is a large cityon the Ohio River in the southwest corner ofthe state. Many large corporations haveheadquarters in the area, including Procter andGamble, a company that is well-known for soapproduction. The largest city of Ohio is thecapital city of Columbus in the center of thestate. The banking and insurance industry ofthe city has continued to grow, and its populationhas increased to 787,033 people. Columbus ishome to Ohio State University, the secondlargest university in the country, with over55,000 students. It is the only major city in Ohiothat has increased in population in recent years.

Indiana - The Hoosier State

History

People from Indiana are often called“Hoosiers”, but nobody really knows exactlywhat it means. Some historians speculate thatit came from the question, “who’s here?” whichmay have been asked about new settlers in thestate. The word also used to refer to a countryperson who does not have good manners, buttoday all residents of Indiana are called“Hoosiers”.

Settlers began coming to Indiana in the early1800s after the United States defeated Britainin the American Revolution, and continued tocome after the War of 1812. Vincennes, a cityin the southwest corner of the state, was thesite of a major victory for the Americans duringthe American Revolution in 1779. In thatbattle, George Rogers Clark captured FortSackville from the British.

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Many Native American tribes, including one ledby Tecumseh, fought as allies of the Britishbefore and during the War of 1812. In 1811,William H. Harrison defeated a NativeAmerican force at Tippecanoe near the present-day city of Lafayette. Because of this victory,Harrison became known as “Old Tippecanoe”.Harrison later became president mainly becauseof his popularity gained from the victory atTippecanoe.

Land

The settlers of Indiana found plains of rich andfertile land which today still produces manycrops. The southern part of the state has steephills that often have caves and are not as fertile.Wyandotte Caves is an important touristattraction in the southern part of the state nearLeavenworth.

The major body of water near Indiana is LakeMichigan on the northwest corner. This areawas one of the first places where conservationstarted in the United States. Because of themany factories in the area, residents wanted topreserve the beauty of the shoreline.Conservation means that parks were set asideon the shoreline so no more factories could bebuilt there. Indiana Dunes National Lakeshoreand Indiana Dunes State Park are examples ofconservation efforts.

Important rivers in the state are the Ohio andWabash Rivers. The Wabash River flows acrossthe middle of the state until it becomes thesouthwest border between Indiana and Illinois.It later flows into the Ohio River, the river whichforms the entire southern border of the state ofOhio. On the other side of the Ohio River isKentucky. The other states bordering Indianaare Michigan to the north and Ohio to the east.

the waters of Lake Michigan and the air ofneighboring communities are not polluted.

The other major metropolitan area (population1.8 million) of Indiana is the capital, Indianapolis(population 829,718). This area is best knownas the place where the Eli Lilly Corporation, acompany that makes drugs and other productsto help keep people healthy, was founded.

Other major cities in Indiana are Evansville(population 117,429) in the southwest, SouthBend (population 101,168) in the north centralpart of the state, and Fort Wayne (population253,691) in the northeastern part of the state.

Great Lakes StatesFarming

Corn and soybeans are important crops in muchof Indiana. Although ethanol plants in the statecan change the corn into fuel for cars, much ofthe corn goes to feeding livestock. The soybeansare made into a fuel for trucks in biodiesel plants.In the city of Claypool in the northern part ofthe state, one of the world’s largest biodieselplants has been built, bringing jobs and industryto Indiana. The U.S. government wants to buildmore of these plants so that we don’t have tobuy so much oil from other countries.

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Economy

Steel production and oil refining are importantindustries in the northwest part of Indiana.Large cities such as Gary (population 80,294)and Hammond (population 80,830) are thecenter of one of the largest steel-making areasin the country. These cities, along with Whiting,are considered part of the metropolitan area ofChicago, Illinois. Semi-trucks carrying steelcome in and out of the factories and travel onthe many interstate highways in the area. Thecity of Whiting is known for its oil refineries.Refining factories take crude oil and change itinto products like gasoline for cars. The processoften results in toxic byproducts so the factoriesand the government have to watch carefully that

Indianapolis, Indiana

Northwest Indiana Harbor withSteel Mills

A coil of steel on a train

1812 by Native Americans of the people thatlived in Fort Dearborn, a fort that had been builton the present site of Chicago. Because troublescontinued between the settlers and the NativeAmericans after the War of 1812, the BlackhawkWar was fought. The Blackhawk War was avictory for the United States. Even thoughyoung Abraham Lincoln did not see any fighting,it is said that he fought against numerousmosquitoes on the way!

After the Blackhawk War, settlement grew inIllinois, especially around Chicago. Because thegrowth in Chicago was so fast, most of the citywas built of wood. On October 8, 1871, a hugefire engulfed much of the city and it was left inruins. Out of the pile of rubble, a new city hadto be built, but this time in brick. Later,Chicago’s excellent natural location along Lake

Great Lakes States

Illinois - The Land of Lincoln

History

The Illiniwek (ih lih new eck) tribe of NativeAmericans lived in the land of Illinois beforeJoliet and Marquette explored the land in the1670s. The name Illinois (ILL ih NOY), takenfrom the name of this tribe, has a silent “s” onthe end. Six years after Joliet and Marquetteexplored this land, La Salle set up French fortsalong the Illinois River, one near Peoria, andthe other in the present-day Starved Rock StatePark.

Like Ohio and Indiana, Illinois was also part ofthe Northwest Territory. However, Illinois hasits own unique history of settlement. In the1830s, the southern part of Illinois was growingas farmers cleared out farms, first in the woodedareas and then in the prairies. The steel plow,developed by John Deere of Peoria, was a majorinvention that allowed farmers to cut throughthe thick sod of the prairie without the soilsticking to the plow. Around this same timeperiod, another settler named Abraham Lincolncame to the central part of the state and settledwith his family in Macon County. Later, Lincolnbecame a lawyer in Springfield, the capital city.He worked his way to become the President ofthe United States in 1860 when the Civil Warbroke out. Tourists can follow the steps ofLincoln today in many parts of the state.Historians and museums have painstakinglypreserved many of the remaining historic itemsfrom Lincoln’s time.

One of the experiences young Abraham Lincolnhad was when he served as a soldier in theBlackhawk War of 1832. This war startedbecause Illinois settlers were farming on the landof the Fox and Sauk Native Americans.Remember that in previous years wars hadprevented settlement in the northern part of thestate. An example of this was the massacre in

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Above is a portrait of AbrahamLincoln and below is his home inSpringfield, the capital of Illinois.

The corn in the fields is harvested using hugemachines called combines . Today, theequipment used by farmers has computers inthem that can read the hills of the land and thewater in the soil. Farmers only harvest whenthe soil moisture is acceptable. When thecombine cuts through the field, the kernels ofcorn are separated from the husk and the plant,saving the farmers many hours of work theyformerly did by hand.

Economy

Illinois has a diverse economy, which meansthat workers there are employed to do a varietyof jobs. People in the big city of Chicago oftendo not realize that almost all of Illinois is filledwith corn fields. On the other hand, the smalltowns in the southern and central part of thestate are far different from the busyness of thebig city.

Chicago (population 2,695,598) continues to bea center for transportation in the country muchas it was in the 1900s. Today, O’Hare airport,located on the northwest side of the city, is oneof the busiest airports in the country. The hugedowntown is a center for business, trade, andtourism. In the center of downtown stands thetallest building in the United States, the WillisTower (formerly the Sears Tower). The sky deckon the 103rd floor offers a breathtaking view of

Great Lakes StatesMichigan allowed it to become a center forrailroads and shipping.

Land

The state of Illinois is a large state with a smallcoastline along Lake Michigan on the northeastcorner. From this point, flat plains roll over thewhole state. Some think it is very boringtravelling over this level land, but the soil foundhere is some of the richest in the world. Illinoishas some major rivers flowing in or around it.The Illinois River cuts through the state fromthe northeast down to the southwest side of thestate, passing through the city of Peoria.

Illinois has five states that share its borders. TheMississippi River forms the entire westernborder. Sharing the Mississippi River as a borderis the state of Missouri to the southwest andIowa to the northwest. On the eastern side ofIllinois is the state of Indiana, with the WabashRiver forming part of the border between thestates in the southeast. The other two borderingstates are Kentucky at the far southern pointand Wisconsin to the north.

The far northwestern tip of Illinois has somerocky land around the city of Galena wheretravelers can enjoy beautiful views along thehighways in the area. In the southern part ofthe state are many coal fields. In addition, theland on the southern tip of Illinois north ofCairo (Cay row) is similar to the Ozark Mountainarea of Missouri.

Farms

The fertile plains of Illinois produce abundantcorn and soybeans. In most years, Illinois leadsthe nation in soybean production, and it is usuallysecond in corn production. Much of the corn isused for ethanol, a substance used for gasoline.A major factory in Decatur, Archer DanielsMidland (ADM), is a leader in ethanolproduction.

The Willis Tower is the tallestbuilding in this picture ofChicago, Illinois. It used to becalled the Sears Tower. 103

Great Lakes States

the metropolitan area, an area which boasts over10,000,000 people. The nickname of Chicagois the “Windy City”, not because of the weatheras many think, but because past and present cityleaders and residents are said to often “boast”about their city!

Chicago’s influence in the Midwest and in theworld is great. The city grew rapidly in the late1800s and 1900s, especially because of itsmeatpacking, transportation, and manufacturingindustries. Today, the city is home to a numberof large corporations and business centers.

In addition to Chicago, Illinois has many otherlarge cities. Peoria (population 115,007) is hometo John Deere, a company which makes farmequipment. To the north is Rockford(population 152,871), a city which has lost manymanufacturing jobs over the last years, althoughit hopes to build its economy in the futurethrough tourism. Further south is the statecapital, Springfield (population 116,250). Allof these cities are connected by an extensiveweb of interstate highways that help thebusinesses and farms of Illinois.

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Michigan - The Wolverine State

History

Michigan has a fascinating history, beginningwith the Native Americans and their meetingwith the French in the 1600s. One of the firstFrenchman to come to Michigan was JeanNicolet, who in 1634 was on a mission forFrance to seek a water route to China. WhenNicolet crossed Lake Michigan, he thought hewas in China so he wore a Chinese silk robe!The French continued coming to Michigan toconvert the Indians to the Roman CatholicChurch and to trap beaver. Forts and missionchurches soon sprang up on the shores of thenorthern Great Lakes in towns such as Sault Ste.Marie (SOO SAINT Mah REE), located on thefar northeastern point of the Upper Peninsula.

Michigan came under British control after theFrench and Indian War. At this time, a NativeAmerican named Pontiac united many tribes tomake a great alliance against the white man.Some of the tribes were the Ojibwa tribe wholived in the Upper Peninsula, and the Ottawaand Potawatomie from the Lower Peninsula.Pontiac’s warriors attacked in many places from1763 and beyond, especially at Fort Detroitwhich he held under siege for seven months.Finally the British were able to make a treatywith Pontiac.

Reformed Worldview Perspective: It canbe exhilarating to see a large city suchas Chicago. However, the city has ahistory of leaders who often commitcorruption, using their power to helpthemselves and not the people of thecity. Also, Chicago is a center of the laborunion movement. A union is a group ofworkers who band together in order toget their way with their employers.Union members are required to take anoath to the union. Find some texts inthe Bible that condemn corrupt rulers.See also the Heidelberg Catechism,Queston and Answer 101 and 104 aboutoaths and respect for those in authority.

Reformed Worldview Perspective: Welearned that the Native Americans weredisappointed the British and theAmericans were taking over their land.As Reformed Christians, we believe thatGod raised up leaders such as Pontiacwith the ability to unite nations. Discusshow leaders such as Tecumseh andPontiac rise to power, not by chance, butbecause God puts them in power for apurpose.

thinner with a finger that points northeast intoLake Superior. Four other Great Lakes surroundMichigan, including Lake Michigan on the west,Lake Superior to the north, Lake Huron to theeast, and Lake Erie to the southeast. With thismany lakes it is not surprising that Michigan hasthe longest freshwater shoreline of any state!Beautiful sand beaches are found, especially onthe shore of Lake Michigan.

The Upper Peninsula has pine forests with somelow mountains in the west. The northern partof the Lower Peninsula also has highlands withmostly pines and aspens. These scenic areas havean abundance of natural resources such as timberand minerals. Although Michigan used to minecopper and iron in great amounts in the UpperPeninsula, today it is too expensive to mine theseminerals. In the center of the Lower Peninsula,the forests gradually change to deciduous treessuch as oaks and maples, which lose their leavesin the fall. The southern part of the LowerPeninsula has more plains and fertile soil. Youmay wonder whether wolverines are still in theforests of Michigan because the state is calledthe Wolverine State. You need not fear,wolverines are only in zoos.

Farming

The farms of the southern Lower Peninsulaprovide Michigan with a variety of crops. Fruitsand vegetables such as cucumbers, squash,asparagus, and carrots grow well, especially nearthe shore of Lake Michigan, mainly because thelake keeps the temperatures cooler in thesummer and warmer in the winter. Someimportant crops of this area are produced in thecherry and apple orchards. In fact, Michiganleads the nation in the production of tart (sour)cherries and is third in the United States in appleproduction. Corn and soybeans are also grownin the southern part of the Lower Peninsula.Soybeans are very important as the secondleading crop in Michigan’s agricultural economy.

Great Lakes States

In the late 1700s, Michigan became part of theNorthwest Territory. Michigan played a large partin the War of 1812 because the British capturedFort Detroit in the southeastern part of the stateand Fort Mackinac (MAK in awe) on thenorthern tip of the Lower Peninsula. TheAmericans were unable to retake Fort Mackinac,but in 1815 after the war, the British gave it up.Fort Detroit also was returned to America.

Michigan grew in population in the yearsfollowing the War of 1812. Before Michiganbecame a state, a surprising argument began withthe state of Ohio over a strip of land on theirborder. The problem was that both stateswanted Toledo. Some say that the name“Wolverine State” was given to Michigan at thistime because those residents who wanted Toledowere “ornery” like the wolverine. In 1837 theUnited States government solved the problemby giving the Toledo Strip to Ohio, and givingthree quarters of the Upper Peninsula toMichigan. Furthermore, Michigan would nowbe a state. While most people thought thatMichigan came out on the “short end” of thedeal, the Upper Peninsula would later providemany precious minerals that would helpMichigan’s economy.

Land

Michigan is the only state in the United Statesthat has two large, distinct parts called the UpperPeninsula and the Lower Peninsula. The LowerPeninsula looks like a mitten with a noticeablethumb on the east. The Upper Peninsula is

The Mackinac Bridge connects theLower and Upper Peninsula.

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fifteen out of one hundred workers wereunemployed in July, 2009. The bad economy hashit many Michigan cities very hard. Cities suchas Detroit and Flint (population 102,434)continue to have people move out, leavingdeserted houses and neighborhoods.

Great Lakes StatesMichigan leads the nation in the production ofvarieties of flowers such as potted petunias andimpatiens. In Western Michigan, for example,gardeners and home-owners can pick from awide variety of flowers in greenhouse storesduring the warmer months. These flowers arealso shipped to many parts of the United States.

Economy

The strength of Michigan’s economy for manyyears has been the automobile industry with itscenter in Detroit (population 713,777).Although the automobile had been inventedyears earlier, Henry Ford made it possible formany more Americans to drive a car in the early1900s. He did this by using the idea ofinterchangeable parts in his factories, whichmeans that parts such as bumpers or doorswould exactly fit on a similar car. Because ofhis new ideas, factories could make cars muchmore quickly on an assembly line.

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Henry Ford

Detroit at twilight

Today, large car companies such as GeneralMotors, Ford, and Chrysler still make many carsusing the assembly line and high technologyrobots. However, the car industry has not soldenough cars in recent years because of therecession and many workers in Michigan haveno job. Some car companies have also movedtheir factories to other countries where they canpay their workers a cheaper wage. As a result,

In recent years, the collapse of the car industryhas forced the businesses in the state to createnew jobs. One promising industry is health care.Hospitals and medical research buildings arebeing built especially in Grand Rapids(population 188,040) where doctors andscientists develop new medicines. Recently,Michigan State University moved its medicalschool from the Lansing area to Grand Rapids.City leaders are happy for this move because itwill bring new jobs to a city that already is well-known for the production of office furniture.The state is also trying to increase tourismespecially in the beautiful scenic areas of theUpper Peninsula and the northern LowerPeninsula.

Other important cities in Michigan are Lansing(population 114,297), Ann Arbor (population113,934), and Kalamazoo (population 74,262).The state capital of Michigan is found in Lansingin the south central part of the state. Ann Arbor,located in the southeastern part of the state, ishome to the University of Michigan. Kalamazooand Battle Creek, home of Kellogg’s cereal, aretwo other cities in southwest Michigan.

Wisconsin - The Badger State

Introduction

In the introduction to the Great Lakes States,we mentioned the interesting history of famousexplorers such as Nicolet and Joliet. These weresome of the first European explorers to set footin what we call Wisconsin. Many NativeAmerican tribes lived in the land at the timesuch as the Ho-Chunk (or Winnebago),Menominee (Meh NAH me nee), and Ojibwatribes.

In the early days of Wisconsin, miners workedhard in the many lead mines of the state. Minersdug holes into the sides of hills much like abadger would. After that, Wisconsin becameknown as the "Badger State".

Land

The state of Wisconsin has many miles ofshoreline along Lake Michigan to the east andLake Superior to the north. Especially in thecentral part of the state, tourists enjoy rockysandstone ledges along the rivers. In the northernand western areas of Wisconsin, forested areasand lakes abound where people can fish, camp,or hike. The eastern and southern parts ofWisconsin have more lowlands, especially alongLake Michigan. The area around Green Bay isvisited often by tourists for its scenery.

The states of Minnesota and Iowa are locatedwest of Wisconsin. Much of the western borderis formed by the St. Croix (SAINT CROY) andthe Mississippi Rivers. The Upper Peninsula ofMichigan lies to the northeast and the state ofIllinois is to the south.

Farming

The Badger State is well-known for theproduction of milk and cheese, a dairy productthat is produced when milk is separated intowhey (a liquid pronounced WAY) and curds.

Great Lakes States

Bacteria are added to change milk into curds(milk that gets thicker until it is a solid). Laterin the manufacturing of the cheese the bacteriaare killed or removed. There are many types ofcheeses that are made in a variety of ways. Ifyou travel to Wisconsin you will find that manycheese makers enjoy teaching children howcheese is made.

Wisconsin farmers also produce a variety ofcrops such as beans and peas. Corn is grown inthe southern part of the state, much of it tofeed the dairy cattle. Each year, more than 1.8million Christmas trees are harvested inWisconsin, according to the Wisconsin FarmBureau!

Economy

Most of the industry is located in the southernpart of Wisconsin. The largest city in Wisconsinis Milwaukee (population 594,833) on the shoreof Lake Michigan. The Milwaukeemetropolitan area is home to many largecompanies such as Harley-DavidsonMotorcycles and Briggs and Stratton Engines.Milwaukee is also known for brewing manykinds of beer.

State capitol in Madison107

Great Lakes States

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Milwaukee has spent much money to make itscity more attractive. The lakefront has manybeautiful buildings and artworks. The MilwaukeeArt Musuem has an artwork that looks like thewings of a bird. The “wings” slowly move up

Reformed Worldview Perspective: Talkabout whether the Reformed Christianis allowed to drink beer and alcohol inmoderation (not too much). The Bibleoften warns against the sin ofdrunkenness. What is our view to be?

and down once a day by means of a machine.This artwork has become an icon of the citywhich means that people often think ofMilwaukee when they see this artwork.

Another large city in Wisconsin is the capitalcity, Madison (population 233,209), where theUniversity of Wisconsin is located. Kenosha(population 99,218) is a city on the shore ofLake Michigan near Milwaukee.

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Introduction

The East South Central States, Kentucky,Tennessee, Mississippi, and Alabama form theheart of the southern part of our country. Duringthe Civil War, business and industry in thesestates were severely damaged, and many of thesestates are still poor. For example, thegovernment recorded in 2007 that Mississippiwas the poorest state in the country in per capitaincome (how much people earn each year). Aswe will learn, foreign car companies haverecently built or are planning to build factoriesin the region, giving hope to the people who areunemployed.

Land and Water

Rivers

The East South Central States are bordered inthe west by the great Mississippi River, andcontinue east to the Appalachian Mountains. Inthe north, the region begins at the Ohio Riverand goes all the way south to the Gulf of Mexico.

The Mississippi River, called the “The Fatherof Waters”, is one of the longest and widestrivers in our country. Its name comes from theNative American language. The “Great River”winds its way for miles along the western bordersof Kentucky, Tennessee, and Mississippi. Overthe years, the river has changed course manytimes. You can see this especially in westernMississippi where the river loops and curvesover many miles. The land along the river is lowand full of swamps and marshes.

Other major rivers in this region include theTennessee River and the Cumberland River. The

Tennessee River begins in eastern Tennessee andeventually touches every state in the regionincluding the northeast border of Mississippi.It ends up at the Ohio River in westernKentucky. The other major river, theCumberland, also flows into the Ohio River atalmost the same spot! In fact, the Tennesseeand Cumberland Rivers flow next to each otherfor several miles in eastern Tennessee andKentucky. This strip of land is called the “LandBetween the Lakes Recreation Area”. The“lakes” are formed because both rivers aredammed up before they enter the Ohio River.

Mountains

On the far eastern edge of the area are theCumberland Plateau and the AppalachianMountains. These highland areas have manybeautiful forests and include the area of theGreat Smoky Mountain National Park in eastern

East South Central StatesChapter Seven

The famous Cumberland Gapis a pass through theAppalachian Mountains inSoutheastern Kentucky.

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Maps.com

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Population Map of theEast South Central States

Alabama - ALKentucky - KYMississippi - MSTennessee - TN

East South Central StatesTennessee. The Cumberland Plateau has hillsand sandstone ridges, as well as the ever presentred soil so well known to the states of thesouthern United States. The soil is red becausethere is so much iron in it.

Many of these states have limestone caves.Limestone is soft rock that is worn away bywater so that huge caves are formed. The mostfamous cave is Mammoth Cave in Kentuckywhere tourists can view stalactites and

stalagmites. A stalactite is a formation thathangs from the ceiling of a cave like a hugeicicle (only it is made of minerals). A stalagmiterises from the ground because of the drippingof the stalactite above. A good way toremember the difference between these twowords is to remember the “tite” in stalactite. Astalactite holds tight (“tite”) to the ceiling ofthe cave. Therefore, a stalagmite is on thebottom.

A large stalagmite inMammoth Cave

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Climate

The climate of Kentucky and Tennessee ismoderate when compared to states in the north.This means that the summers are hot and humidand the winters are cool but not as cold as farthernorth. Kentucky and Tennessee do receive somesnow, and of the two, Kentucky usually receivesmore rain.

Mississippi and Alabama have a similar climateto Kentucky and Tennessee, but it is much hotterand more humid, often unbearably “sticky”(humid and muggy) in the summer. Hurricanesusually form in late summer and early fall. InAugust of 2003, Hurricane Katrina devastatedMississippi, and widespread floods destroyedmany homes and businesses near the coast.

Tornadoes are common, especially inMississippi and Alabama. These dangerousstorms form in severe thunderstorms and appearas rotating, funnel-shaped clouds with winds upto 300 miles an hour! However, unlike thetornadoes in states further north, tornadoes inMississippi and Alabama often form offhurricanes.

Economy

Farming

East of the “Great River” in Mississippi, we findrich farmland where cotton has been grown formany years. While many people may think thatcotton is still the main crop of the southern partof the region, the government reports thatpoultry and eggs have taken over as the mainmoney producer. In the northern states of theregion, tobacco and corn are important crops.

Industry

As we said before, the East South Central Statescontinue to be some of the poorest states in ourcountry. The government has attempted to help

East South Central States

Lowlands

The southern part of Mississippi and Alabamais the lowland along the Gulf of Mexico. Thisarea is filled with beaches as well as swamplandsthat are well-suited for wildlife. In 2010, thesemarshes suffered from oil pollution caused byan explosion that made a huge oil leak deep inthe Gulf of Mexico. President Barack Obamastated that this oil pollution was the worstenvironmental disaster in the history of ourcountry. An environmental disaster means thatfish, birds, shrimp, plants and other creaturesdied, and that it may take many years for theseanimals and plants to return to the area.

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The explosion of theDeepwater Horizon oilplatform in April 2010polluted the Gulf ofMexico with oil for months.

Reformed Worldview Perspective: Thinkabout two questions. First, why does Godsend environmental disasters to theworld? And second, Christians arecalled to be good stewards of theenvironment. How could a Christian oilbusinessman prevent oil pollution? Incase that oil is spilled, what should bedone, according to the Bible?

East South Central States

the people here for many years by building damsand providing access to electricity.

The major cities of the region are located inKentucky and Tennessee. The metropolitanareas of Louisville (LOO ih vill), Kentucky, andNashville, Tennessee have large automobilemanufacturing facilities located in the suburbs.Delivery businesses such as UPS and Fed Extake advantage of the central location ofKentucky and Tennessee to help deliverpackages more quickly.

The region also is known for mining, andproduces coal and other minerals, especially inthe Appalachian Mountains and the CumberlandPlateau. Much of the iron mined in themountains is used for steel-production. Oil ispumped off-shore in the Gulf of Mexicoproviding jobs for many in the area. Becausethese states are on the Gulf of Mexico, thefishing and seafood industry is important tothem. The vast forests of these states provideresources for the paper and furniture industries.

Nashville, the capital of Tennessee,is located in the central part of thestate on the Cumberland River.

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North used to try to win the Civil War put theEast South Central States right in the middle ofthe fighting.

First, the North created a ship blockade aroundthe whole sea-coast of the South so that no foodor supplies could get in or out. Second, theNorth wanted to separate the western states bytaking over the important Mississippi River.After a long siege (an army surrounds an enemyto force them to surrender), the Northaccomplished this second goal by capturingVicksburg, Mississippi on July 3, 1863. Thesiege of Vicksburg lasted from May 26 to July3, 1863, after which the Southern army and thepeople of Vicksburg lost hope and surrendered.And third, the North wanted to drive throughTennessee and continue all the way throughGeorgia to the Atlantic Ocean. As a result, thisarea experienced war in a very real way.

History

Exploration and Settlement

This area is also rich in history. Although DeSoto, who explored this area in search of goldin 1581 and 1582 never found the rich goldmines of which the Indians spoke, he is said tobe the first European to see the great MississippiRiver. La Salle (René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur deLa Salle) sailed the length of the Mississippi in1682 and claimed the land for France.

During the late 1700s and the early 1800s, theland of the East South Central States was thefrontier (western edge of settlement) of theUnited States. However, to reach this land,especially in Kentucky and Tennessee, settlershad to make their way across the AppalachianMountains. In 1750, Thomas Walker was thefirst white man to travel on a path through themountains that the Indians called the “Warrior’sPath”. He named the pass found at the pointwhere the borders of Kentucky, Tennessee, andVirginia meet, the Cumberland Gap, after aPrince in England. In the late 1700s, DanielBoone led many settlers into the land ofKentucky through that same mountain pass. Butit was Daniel Boone who first created a narrowroad through the mountains called theWilderness Road. Over the next century,hundreds of thousands of settlers would use thisroad to travel into Kentucky. These settlerswere spurred on by stories of rich, fertile land,but the settlers came into conflict with Indianson numerous occasions, especially during theAmerican Revolution. Later, many young menfrom the region fought in the War of 1812.

Civil War

The East South Central States played a largepart in the Civil War, especially Tennessee andMississippi. We learned earlier that most of thebattles took place in Virginia because the Northwanted to capture Richmond, the capital of theSouth. But the strategy that the generals of the

During the Civil War, soldiers wouldstand behind these walls of dirt,called earthworks, and shoot at theenemy. These are a reconstructionof earthworks at VicksburgNational Military Park.

story that stuck out over the wall. Forts wereused especially during the American Revolution,but later many of the settlers moved out of theforts to farm the land. At this time, Kentuckywas still part of Virginia, but in 1792, theBluegrass State had enough people to join theUnion.

Land

Kentucky gets its name from the bluegrass thatgrows in the state, grass that when allowed togrow to its normal height of over two feet, hasblue flowers. The land of Kentucky graduallyrises in elevation from west to east. In the west,close to the Mississippi River and south of theOhio River, is lowland where much farming isdone. Coal is also mined in this region. The

East South Central States

Kentucky - The Bluegrass State

Introduction

When people think of Kentucky, they oftenthink of Daniel Boone who led the settlers downthe Wilderness Road to Kentucky. He foundedone of the first settlements there, namedBoonesborough, in 1775. In order to protectthemselves from raids, early pioneers built forts,small towns with a stockade (a wall made fromstrong, upright tree trunks attached together).The town was further protected from attack byblock houses that were built on each corner ofthe fort. A block house is a building made ofstrong timbers with openings through whichpeople could shoot at the enemy.Boonesborough’s blockhouses had a second

A view inside of a reconstruction of Boonesborough Fort

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Tennessee and the Cumberland Rivers runthrough this area, as we mentioned earlier.

In the central part of the state, the BluegrassRegion is known for its many horse farms.Tourists can see huge rolling pastures withthoroughbred horses grazing behind whitefences, especially near Lexington and Frankfort,the capital city. The major river in this area isthe Kentucky River which starts in themountains and flows northwest throughFrankfort, all the way to the Ohio River.Mammoth Cave is also located in this centralregion.

The mountains of eastern Kentucky have manyplaces of scenic beauty where tourists can seethe handiwork of God. Small rivers begin inthis area, cascade down waterfalls, and meanderthrough canyons, eventually feeding into largerrivers such as the Cumberland River. Natural

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bridges cross canyons, and other beautifulcreations of God can be seen in this area. TheCumberland Gap National Park is particularlybeautiful.

Farming

Kentucky is the leading producer of tobaccoused for cigarettes. In many parts of the stateyou can see fields filled with the wide leaves oftobacco plants. Corn and soybeans alsocontribute to the economy of Kentucky, makingfarming important to the state.

Another type of farm in Kentucky is the well-known horse farms, mentioned earlier in thechapter, which are places where race horses areraised. The horses compete in races such as theKentucky Derby, a race held annually inmetropolitan Louisville.

A tobacco field in rural Kentucky

Internet and then wait for a delivery companyto bring it to their house. Businesses also relyon the speedy service for important documentsor products, many of which can be deliveredcross-country overnight.

East South Central States

Economy

The economy of Kentucky struggles comparedto other states in the country. The per capitaincome of its workers is almost the lowest inthe U.S., and the unemployment rate is higherthan average (as of 2010).

However, the economy has some hopefuldevelopments. The large city of Louisville(population 597,337) is home to majorindustries. The delivery company United ParcelService (UPS) has a hub in the city. A hub isthe central place in an area through which manyairplanes pass. Therefore, downtown Louisvilleresidents often see cargo planes overhead.Delivery businesses such as UPS are growingbecause many people buy products on the

Reformed Worldview Perspective: Horseraces such as the Kentucky Derby showthe grace and power of racing horses.However, the purpose for many of theseraces is gambling. What does the Biblesay about that? The Bible talks abouthorses in Psalm 33:17 in connection withtheir speed and strength in time of war.Discuss how this Psalm applies to horseracing.

Reformed Worldview Perspective: Manycompanies promise delivery overnight.This is astounding compared to deliverytime just 150 years ago when it tookmonths to travel cross-country beforethe train, car, and truck took over. Ourworld is connected in many ways. Witha click on the computer, a customer canbuy something, and it is at their door thenext day. Discuss how these things areone of the signs that Christ is comingsoon.

Georgetown, Kentucky, a suburb of Louisville,is home to the first Toyota car plant in theUnited States (Toyota is a company from Japan).This car plant employs thousands of workersand is a hopeful sign for Kentucky’s economy.

Louisville is a large city in Kentucky located onthe Ohio River.

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the north with Mississippi and Alabama to thesouth, and North Carolina is on the east.Tennessee broke off from North Carolina in1792, the same year that Kentucky broke offfrom Virginia. Because in the War of 1812 manyyoung men answered the call of duty andvolunteered for battle, Tennessee is called theVolunteer State.

Andrew Jackson, a hero from the War of 1812,was from Tennessee. He became famous byfighting Indians in the South and especially bydefeating the British at the Battle of NewOrleans. Jackson later became President of the

East South Central States

Coal mining has been the mainstay for Kentucky,and for many years it led the country in coalproduction. Coal is essential because we burn itto provide electricity. However, as we mentionedin previous chapters, the industry is dangerousand the burning of coal is often harmful to theenvironment . This is a concern to the stategovernment in Frankfort.

Tennessee - The Volunteer State

Introduction and History

Tennessee is in the center of our country, nestledeast of the Mississippi River. Kentucky lies to

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The state capitol of Kentucky is in Frankfortalong the Kentucky River.

leader named Sequoyah had even developed awritten language for the tribe.

East South Central StatesUnited States. Tourists can visit his home named“The Hermitage” near Nashville, Tennessee.

Another Tennessee hero that fought in the Warof 1812 was Davy Crockett. He is alsoremembered as a man who fought and died inthe War against Mexico at the famous Battle ofthe Alamo near San Antonio, Texas.

President Jackson and Davy Crockett wereimportant because they were involved in Indianremoval. Tribes that lived in Tennessee, suchas the Cherokee, were told to move to new landsin the west. You will recall that this forcedremoval is now known as the Trail of Tears. Theremoval of the Cherokee Tribe was especiallysignificant because they had wanted to learn tolive with white people. The noted Cherokee

The Hermitage was Andrew Jackson's homenear Nashville, Tennessee.

Reformed Worldview Perspective:Discuss how Christians should view theremoval of people from their homelandof many generations. Is it right to moveonto land that belongs to others? Shouldwe give the land back to these NativeAmericans?

Land

Tennessee has three grand divisions named EastTennessee, Middle Tennessee, and WestTennessee.

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East Tennessee is mostly mountainous with theTennessee River running through the middle.Along the eastern border are the Blue RidgeMountains where the famous Great SmokyMountain National Park is located. The park isone of the most popular of all the national parksbecause of the beautiful forested mountains andthe many hiking trails. On the west side of theTennessee River Valley is the CumberlandPlateau, a region with mountains that are not ashigh as the Appalachians.

Middle Tennessee is located west of theCumberland Plateau all the way to the TennesseeRiver as it arches back up north towardKentucky. In this area is the Nashville Basin, alowland with many farms. Surrounding thisbasin is higher land called the Highland Rim.

West Tennessee is the land between theTennessee and Mississippi Rivers. It is part ofthe Gulf Coastal Plain which runs down fromWestern Tennessee along Western Mississippiall the way to the Gulf of Mexico. It’s hard tobelieve that some of the greatest earthquakesin American history happened in this regionalong the Mississippi River in 1811 and 1812.In fact, Reelfoot Lake in western Tennessee was

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formed when the Mississippi River was naturallydammed by an earthquake during this time.

Farming

Because of the different regions in Tennessee,the farmers there grow three different types ofcrops. Even though eastern Tennessee is mostlymountainous, tobacco farming does occur in thevalley regions, especially in the northeastern areaof the state.

Corn and soybeans are grown in MiddleTennessee. The rich farmland of the NashvilleBasin and other areas here are centers for growthof these crops, especially because there isenough rain to allow crop growth.

West Tennessee is cotton country. During the1800s, steamboats loaded up with bales andbales of cotton in this area. For many years,Memphis, on the Mississippi, was a center forthe distribution of this product. Today, cottonis transported by truck, train, ship, and airplane.Memphis still has a number of companies thatsell cotton throughout the world.

On the left is af l o w e r i n gcotton plant,and the on theright is cottonat harvest.

electricity. It works like this. First, workers builda large dam across a river such as the TennesseeRiver. Second, tubes are built inside the wall ofthe dam so that water can flow throughwhenever the operator of the dam desires.Third, when falling water goes through the tubes,the water turns wheels called turbines. Finally,these turbines create electricity by spinningmagnets past a coil of wire. This hydroelectricpower has made electricity available for manyhomes and in addition has helped the industryof the East South Central States.

Recently, owners of auto manufacturingcompanies have chosen Tennessee as a place todo business. Nissan (another business fromJapan) established its North Americanheadquarters in Franklin, which is just south ofNashville, the capital. Farther south, GeneralMotors has a large auto manufacturing complexin the city of Spring Hill. Although much ofthe factory is not presently used, the residentsare hopeful that the factory will be used againin the near future.

East South Central States

Another significant agricultural industry is theraising of Tennessee walking horses. Thesehorses have been bred through the years to begentle horses for riding.

Economy

Throughout the history of our country,Tennessee has always been a poor state. It wasdevastated by the Civil War. In fact, only thepeople of Virginia saw more battles during thewar than did those who lived in Tennessee duringthis terrible time. Floods on the Tennessee Riveralso have been a constant concern. In addition,many Tennessee residents received electricityin their homes much later than people in otherparts of the country did. During the 1930s,President Franklin D. Roosevelt attempted tohelp the people in Tennessee and neighboringstates by setting up agencies such as theTennessee Valley Authority (TVA). The TVAstill exists today and provides electricity tomillions of residents.

The TVA Dams provide hydroelectric powerby using the falling water from a dam to produce

A Nissan car factory in Tennessee

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company is a competitor of UPS, which meansthat both companies offer the same services andare constantly trying to get each other’s business.

The city of Knoxville (population 178,874), amajor city in East Tennessee, is the headquartersof the TVA. Its metropolitan area is especiallyknown for the production of aluminum.Chattanooga (population 167,647), the fourthlargest city in Tennessee, is located in the farsoutheastern corner of the state.

East South Central States

Nashville (population 601,222) is a growing citywith a beautiful downtown district along theCumberland River. Home of the “Grand OldOpry”, it has long been known as “Music City,USA” because of the many music recording andpublishing industries found there.

The city of Memphis (population 646,889) islocated on the Mississippi River in thesouthwestern corner of the state. In additionto selling cotton, Memphis is home to the largetransportation company called FedEx. This

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The sunsphere in Knoxville was constructedfor the world's fair in 1982. The theme of thefair was, "Energy turns the world."

Mississippi - The Magnolia State

Introduction

Mississippi is a southern state with beautifulforests and rich bottomlands along itsnamesake, the mighty Mississippi River.Bottomlands are low-lying lands along a river.This land has long been a source of income forthe people of the state.

However, the state of Mississippi remains thepoorest state in our country when you look atthe per capita income of the residents there.Government officials are especially concernedabout the number of poor people in northwestMississippi, the region known as The Delta. Thepoor economy is caused by various things. Eversince the Civil War, the region has been poor,first, because the Civil War devastated theeconomy of the southern states, and second,because throughout the 1900s the area hadmany floods and other “natural disasters.”Finally, the most important problem of recentyears is that the majority of the workers in theregion do not have the education for jobs in ourmodern world. The workers tend to seek farmjobs, which though plentiful years ago, arebecoming more and more scarce. There are notas many farm jobs because more migrantworkers are doing much of the work and modernmachines are doing what had formerly been doneby hand. The government is very concernedabout the education of the youth of Mississippiand about the poor in the state.

East South Central States

Land

The land of Mississippi is mostly lowland coastalplain, especially along the Mississippi River andthe coast of the Gulf of Mexico. On thenorthwest edge of the state is the MississippiDelta, an alluvial plain, which is low landcovered with deposits of dirt and silt from theriver. The dirt left over is very good for growingcrops. Over the years, the Mississippi River haschanged its course many times. The easternborder of this area is the Yazoo River, whichmany consider to be a former route of theMississippi River. An interesting feature of thisland is an ox-bow lake. This is a crescent or U-shaped lake which once was part of a river. Asthe years pass, large bends from the main stemof a river are cut off when the river changescourse and a lake is formed.

The central and northeastern parts of Mississippihave higher land. Yet, the land of the state doesnot get much higher than 700 feet above sealevel.

Mississippi is a state with much forest land.Especially in the southern part of the state,Spanish moss grows and hangs down from thetrees. This plant is neither Spanish nor a moss,but rather a plant in the pineapple family. TheMagnolia Tree, the state tree of Mississippi, hasbeautiful white flowers that bloom in the spring.A number of regions in the state have pineforests, including the Coastal Pine Meadows,located along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico.

Farming

Mississippi leads the nation in the number oftree farms, because most people live along theGulf or the river, leaving much land availablefor forests which grow rapidly in the southernclimate. Much of the wood from the trees isused for paper production. The pine plantations

Reformed Worldview Perspective: Thepoor in Mississippi receive more moneyfrom our national government perperson than any other state except one.Yet, official government reports statethat Mississippi remains poor, and thatmany people misuse the money.According to Romans 13, what is the dutyof the government? Discuss theChristian’s view of helping the poor. 125

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provide wood for lumber used in housing, andmany Christmas tree farms are located there.

Cotton has long been and still is very importantto the economy of Mississippi. Much of thecotton is grown in the bottomlands of theMississippi Delta region, along with rice, corn,soybeans, and other crops.

The farmers in the state make most of theirfarming money by selling the meat of broilers(young chickens). Although when travellingthrough Mississippi you first notice the large pinefarms and cotton farms, farmers do raise millionsof chickens which produce meat and eggs inlarge farm buildings, many of which are notnoticeable from the road.

Finally, the state has much aquaculture. Alongthe course of the Mississippi River, large ponds

hold farm-raised catfish which are sold for theirmeat. While you might think that catfish arenot good to eat, many people enjoy eating them,especially the farm-raised fish. Shrimp, a popularseafood delicacy, are also sought by fishermanin the state. As we read in the introduction tothe chapter, shrimp and catfish farmers areconcerned about the impact of the oil pollutionfrom the leak in the Gulf of Mexico thathappened in 2010.

Economy

Mississippi does not have many large cities. Thecapital city of Mississippi, Jackson, has apopulation of 173,514. The next largest city isGulfport (population 67,793), located on thecoast of the Gulf of Mexico.

The state capitol in Jackson, Mississippi

East South Central States

Because Mississippi borders the Gulf of Mexico,an important industry of the state is shipbuildingfor the United States government. The companycalled Northrup Grumman in Pascagoulaemploys a number of residents for this work.The government also runs the Stennis SpaceCenter in southwest Mississippi where rocketengines are tested at large test sites. The workersat this facility are very concerned that they maylose their jobs because the government no longeris going to use the space shuttle. Because theeconomy of the United States was not good inthe years 2008 - 2010, many workers that stillhave jobs worry that they may lose their jobsbecause President Obama, as well as manycitizens in our country, are concerned aboutspending money on rockets. But workers in therocket industry hope that work will continue onthe development of rockets for space travel andexploration. A notable example is work on theAres rockets which NASA believes will be muchsafer and more efficient than the space shuttles.

Many tourists visit Mississippi each year. Thebeaches along the Gulf coast attract manyvisitors. Other tourists go to the cities ofVicksburg and Natchez which have historicalsites that show life during and before the CivilWar. Tourists can also drive the remarkableNatchez Trace, a 444 mile road with nobillboards or traffic lights, which follows an old

trail back to the North through Alabama andTennessee. The trail was used by manyboatmen to get back to the North after they hadfloated on barges down the “Great River” beforethe invention of steam powered boats.

Alabama - The Heart of Dixie

Introduction

The name “Dixie” refers to the southern part ofthe United States. Nobody knows for sure wherethe name came from, but since Alabama is rightin the middle, its nickname is “Heart of Dixie.”Montgomery, the capital of the state, was oncethe capital of the Confederate States. It was onthe steps of this state capitol that JeffersonDavis was inaugurated as the first President ofthe Confederacy.

The Confederacy was formed in 1861 becausethe Southern States wanted to preserve slaveryand they believed that the southern states hadstates’ rights (the belief that powers should begiven to the states to make laws about trade,slavery, and any other things that they believeare left to the states). The election of AbrahamLincoln in 1860, they felt, was a threat to thesegoals. The Civil War took a toll on Alabamabecause many of its young men died in the war.

The Natchez TraceParkway in Mississippi

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Of the 120,000 white men from Alabama whofought in the Civil War, about 30,000 died frombattle wounds or disease! After the war, manychanges took place in the South, and Alabamabecame a center for the civil rights strugglecaused by segregation (separation of whitepeople and African- Americans). A person whofights for civil rights is one who desires that allpeople receive the same treatment under the law,regardless of race or color.

An important person in this struggle wasBooker T. Washington (1856-1915) because hedeveloped the well known Tuskegee University,an African-American University in easternAlabama. Other important people from thisuniversity through the years were GeorgeWashington Carver (whom we’ve studiedbefore) and the Tuskegee Airmen.

While many blacks migrated to northern citiesin the early 1900s for work, many stayed behind.Even though these African-Americans weresupposed to be allowed to vote, white people inthe government stopped them from votingthrough voting laws such as literacy tests (inother words, you had to be able to read to vote).In other instances, the Ku Klux Klan, aninstitution of white men who believe that whitemen are better than people of other races, simplythreatened harm to any black who dared to vote.Throughout the South, blacks had to drink attheir own drinking fountains and had to ride inthe back of the bus. These became known asJim Crow laws. The Tuskegee Airmen,mentioned above, were the first African-American pilots, and they fought withdistinction in World War II in spite of the JimCrow Laws that existed also in the Air Force.

In the 1950s and 1960s, two especiallyimportant civil rights events took place inAlabama. First, a woman named Rosa Parkswas arrested by Montgomery police in 1955because she refused to sit in the back of a city

bus, but rather stayed in the front even whenthe bus driver ordered her to move. Second,Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a minister who foughtfor civil rights, led a large group of people in1965 from Selma, Alabama, to Montgomery topetition the governor to allow fair voting. Thegroup was protected by troops sent by PresidentLyndon Johnson. In 1965, he signed a law whichmade it illegal to unfairly block African-American people from voting.

Reformed Worldview Perspective: TheBible says we as Christians should obeythose in authority except when theyrequire us to sin. Then we are called tosubmit and not to rebel. In the light ofthe Civil Rights Movement, discusswhether we as Christians could be a partof the demonstrations and parades. Inyour discussion talk about words suchas submit, rebel, and disobey, inconnection with the Civil RightsMovement and Jim Crow laws.

Land

Alabama’s land is mostly lower than 600 feetabove sea level, except for a few mountainousareas in the northeastern part of the state. Theseare the southern tips of the Cumberland Plateauand the Appalachian Mountains. Flowing fromthese mountains and curving across the northernpart of the state, the Tennessee River provideswater and electricity from the many dams thatthe TVA has built.

The center of the state is a lowland area calledthe Black Belt because of the rich black soil inthe area. The two main rivers that flow throughthis area are the Tombigbee River in the west,and the Alabama River in the center. These tworivers come together to form the Mobile River,which continues to the Gulf Coastal Plain inthe far south. This plain has countless swamps

East South Central States

that contain many different forms of wildlife.In the far southwestern corner is Mobile Bayinto which most of Alabama’s rivers flow.

Farms

As with many other southern states, Alabama’sfarm money comes mostly from raising andselling meat from broilers. The typical familychicken farm in Alabama can have three or fourbroiler chicken houses, each house producing30,000 six-pound chickens every six weeks!Cattle raising is also important, and many youngcattle from Alabama are sold to feed-lots acrossthe United States.

Alabama’s rich Black Belt area is a place wheresoybeans, cotton, and peanuts can be grown.We learned earlier that George WashingtonCarver taught the farmers of the south to plantsoybeans and peanuts to keep the soil rich. Thefarmers still do this by rotating crops, often by

planting cotton in the field one year, and thenext year planting crops such as soybeans orpeanuts in order to put nutrients back into thesoil.

As is true in Mississippi, the Black Belt ofAlabama ranks high in the nation in providinglumber and wood products from the many forestsgrowing there.

Economy

Although the average pay of the people ofAlabama is lower than most people in thecountry, the state does have hope for industryto grow. The city of Huntsville, on the TennesseeRiver, is a center for the production ofequipment for space exploration and travel. Thistown was small until the government built aspace complex, and then the population grewto over 170,000 people.

South of Huntsville is the city of Birmingham.Because this city is near to large iron mines inthe mountains, it has been known as “thePittsburgh of the South.” Even though steelmaking is still important to the area, thedeveloping hospitals in the area are excellentand they offer many jobs. Birmingham has apopulation of 217,237, although many peopleare moving from the city to the suburbs.

Mobile and Mobile Bay

A broiler farm Birmingham, Alabama

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Montgomery (population 205,764), found in thecenter of the state, is the capital where the statebusiness takes place. Far in the southwest nearthe Gulf, is Mobile (mo-beel), which has apopulation of 195,111. This is a port city onMobile Bay which is ranked eleventh in the U.S.in cargo tonnage that passes through the port.Much of the cargo comes down the TombigbeeRiver to Mobile on barges. In the 1980s, the

government built a canal that connected theTennessee River and the Tombigbee River calledThe Tenn-Tom Waterway after both rivers.Most of the barges on this waterway carrylumber, coal, and wood products to the portcities. We have seen that the South has manytree farms. Many of the tree products are carriedon this river system.

The Alabama coast on the Gulf of Mexico

Introduction

The Plains States Region of the United Statesis called “America’s Breadbasket”, because itprovides about one-half of all the corn and wheatgrown in the United States. Driving throughthese states in the summertime, you can see fieldafter field of waving corn or wheat. The fall ofthe year brings the harvests when large combinescut the grain and shoot it into big storage wagonspulled by tractors. Thinking about theabundance of food grown in these states, weought to thank God for many years of goodharvests.

Land

Minnesota, Iowa, and Missouri make up theeastern part of the Plains States. The mightyMississippi River begins in Minnesota at LakeItasca and flows along much of the easternborder of these three states. The middle partof this region is called the Prairie Plains. Movingwest, the land gradually rises in elevation acrossthe entire region toward the mountains.Therefore, the rivers flow east from themountains and toward the Mississippi River.While most of the land of these three states isrich prairie that supported long grasses in theearly days of our country, there are also two

Plains StatesChapter Eight

Durum wheat harvest in North Dakota

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132

133

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Population Mapof the Plains States

Iowa - IAKansas - KSMinnesota - MNMissouri - MONebraska - NENorth Dakota - NDSouth Dakota - SD

Plains States

mountainous areas. First is the Superior Uplandwhich lies next to Lake Superior in northeasternMinnesota, where you can see many lakes andbeautiful forests. Second, southern Missouri ishome to the Ozark Plateau, another area ofmountain beauty.

The four western states of the region, NorthDakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Kansas,are often called the Great Plains. These plainsdiffer from the ones in southern Minnesota,Iowa, and northern Missouri because the yearlyrainfall can only support shorter grasses on theland which is mostly dry and flat. Flowing downthrough this area is the Missouri River. Othermajor rivers are the Platte River that runsthrough Nebraska and the Arkansas River inKansas.

In the far western region of these states are somehighlands. The most familiar area in thesehighlands is the Black Hills in western South

Dakota. In this area you will find buttes whichare hills with steep sides and flat tops. They differfrom mesas in that the flat top area of a butte isusually much smaller. This place is beautiful todrive through because you can come over thetop of a hill and see mile after mile of carvedland created by God. Though the land is not asfertile, it has a beauty all its own.

Climate

The Plains States have a wide variety ofclimates. Generally, the farther west you travel,the drier it gets. The northern states, thoughthey do have cooler summers than the southernpart of the region, have a humid continentalclimate, which means that summers can haverain and warm temperatures while the wintercan be very cold. The southern states of theregion have similar weather but a generallywarmer summer.

Buttes in the Plains States

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Dakotas. These states are part of the Corn Beltwhich extends all the way to Ohio. Corn is usedin a variety of other ways, not just as food forpeople and livestock. An increasing amount ofcorn is used today for making ethanol for carfuel.

Temperatures in the Great Plains vary muchfrom summer to winter because these states arenot near a large body of water which brings coolbreezes in the summer and warming breezes inthe winter. Sometimes the summers can beextremely hot and dry so that it is almost similarto a desert. The word for this kind of climate issemi-arid or steppe (step) climate.

It is windy in the Plains States all throughoutthe year. This area is also a part of the UnitedStates that often sees tornadoes, especially inthe spring. Tornadoes occur when warm windsfrom the south collide with cool winds from thenorth. We will learn more about tornadoes inthe next chapter.

Economy

Farming

As mentioned above, farmers in the PlainsStates grow an abundance of corn, especially inIowa, southern Minnesota, northern Missouri,and the eastern part of Nebraska and the

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Scientists and inventors are making it easier andeasier to grow corn. About one hundred yearsago, horses pulled many of the farm machinesand much work had to be completed by hand.

Irrigated corn in South Dakota

Reformed Worldview Perspective: Thegovernment is excited that corn can beused to make ethanol for car fuel. Thenour country doesn’t have to rely so muchon oil. Farmers also like this so they canproduce more and then sell almost one-half of their corn to produce ethanol.However, some people make the pointthat we should use corn to make foodsand not fuel, especially since manypeople in the world are starving. Discussin class what products you think can andshould be made from corn.

Plains States

Plains States

Now, huge tractors plant the fields and largecombines harvest the crops. Therefore not asmany field hands are needed, so only a smallpart of the region’s workers actually are farmers.Also, in the past, farmers plowed the fields toplant crops. Now, many crops can be plantedwithout tilling the ground and farmers spreadfertilizer only on the area where the crop grows.There are several advantages to using thismethod: (1) it saves time and money for thefarmer, (2) extra fertilizer doesn’t pollute thewaters, and (3) valuable top soil is not lost dueto unnecessary tilling.

The other major crop of the region is wheat,which is grown mainly in the western part ofthese states, especially Kansas and NorthDakota. This part of the region is known as theWheat Belt. As we’ve seen, the Corn Belt isgenerally in the Prairie Plains, while the WheatBelt is mostly in the Great Plains. Other cropsgrown in the region are soybeans, hay, andsunflowers, among others.

Most farmers in this area use the crops and grassfor raising livestock. Many parts of Iowa, forexample, have hogs (pigs) which are raised fortheir meat (pork), while throughout the PlainsStates, cattle are raised in the pastures. In thewestern part of these states cattle roam on hugeranches in search of grass, because it is not asplentiful there as in the eastern part.

Industry

Much of the industry of the Plains States ispossible because of the many agriculturalproducts produced there. Many cities have foodprocessing plants, places where the food ispacked making it possible to preserve it for alonger time. Meat-packing is a type of foodprocessing that is common in the Plains Statescities because so many cattle are raised in theregion.

The Plains States also have other growingindustries. Several states have thrivingcomputer and electronic equipment industriesas well as aircraft manufacturing. A very recentdevelopment is the use of wind farmscontaining many wind-mills to create electricalenergy from the wind that always seems to beblowing. While the government is interested inusing this wind power to make energy becausethe wind-mills don’t pollute the environment,many residents are against them because theyspoil the beauty of the landscape.

History

Our history of the Plains States begins with theinteresting story of Lewis and Clark. Manyyoung students are enthralled with theadventures of these two men and their Corpsof Discovery (Corps is pronounced “CORE”).They were assigned by President ThomasJefferson to explore the western United States

A replica of Lewis andClark's keelboat in Iowa

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during the Dust Bowl years. After the Dust Bowlof the 1930s farmers learned that they had torotate their crops. Today, in addition to the useof crop rotation, farmers use other moderntechnology to ensure that the land keeps itsnutrients and that there is not soil erosion.

Minnesota - The North Star State

Introduction and History

Imagine the state of Minnesota before it becamea state and before the white men came toexplore. It was a land of the Native Americantribes called the Ojibwa (whom we’ve studiedbefore) and the Dakota. Starting in the late1600s, French explorers began travelling intothe area by way of the Great Lakes. Amongothers, Daniel Greysolon, or Sieur Duluth, wasone of the most important. He was trying tofind the important Northwest Passage (a waterroute between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans)which so many explorers sought, as we learnedearlier. The city of Duluth, Minnesota, on thetip of Lake Superior, is named for him.

French fur trappers also came to the land at thistime. The Grand Portage, an area located in farnortheastern Minnesota, was an important stopfor the fur trappers because at that point theycould carry their goods from inland rivers to LakeSuperior. For many years, the trappers met atthe Grand Portage to trade furs for otherdesirable items. The beaver pelt became a veryvaluable item because it was used for makingmen’s hats.

The land that would later become Minnesotawas added to the United States at three differenttimes. Our country gained northeast Minnesotaafter the American Revolution, southeastMinnesota through the Louisiana Purchase, andthe northwest portion from Great Britain in1818. During the middle 1800s Minnesota grew

in the early 1800s, especially to look for a riverthat went from the Atlantic Ocean all the wayto the Pacific Ocean. Lewis and Clark, ofcourse, never found a river route all the way tothe Pacific, but they did discover the riches ofthe land’s soil and wildlife. Over the course ofthe trip up the Missouri (which lasted from 1804to 1806) they met numerous Indian tribes, andeven stayed with them over a winter near presentday Bismarck, North Dakota. We will continuethe history of their trip to the Pacific Ocean inlater chapters.

Much of the land that Lewis and Clark exploredwas part of the Louisiana Purchase of 1803. Inthis purchase from France, the United Statesgained a large portion of land east of the RockyMountains all the way to the Mississippi Riverfor a cost of only three cents per acre of land!

Years after Lewis and Clark, settlers came tofarm the land of the Plains States, especiallyafter the government established the HomesteadAct of 1862. This law gave residents free landif they lived on and worked the property forapproximately five years. At about the sametime, companies built railroads through thePlains States, causing many towns to spring up.The result of the rapid settlement of this areawas trouble with the Indians, especially in themiddle 1800s. In the battles that followed, theU.S. government drove the Indians off the landand onto reservations (tracts of public land setaside for use by Indians), especially in SouthDakota.

The farmers planted and harvested their landevery year, never allowing their fields to liefallow (not seeded for a year). The sad result ofthis was the Dust Bowl of the 1930s when therewere widespread drought and dust stormsespecially in the southeastern part of the PlainsStates. As a result of the drought, many farmerslost their farms or at least became very poor

flows north into Canada, while the MinnesotaRiver flows into the Mississsippi River.

In the far southwest is a highland area, wherethe Indians gathered (and still gather to this day)clay for their peace pipes. This is done atPipestone National Monument, a very interestingplace for a tourist visit.

Farming

Along with the other Plains States, Minnesotais a major agricultural state. It is a leader in thecountry when it comes to raising corn andsoybeans on large farms that roll over hill afterhill. Farmers in Minnesota also raise a numberof other field crops including hay, barley, andsugar beets.

Minnesota leads the nation in the number ofturkeys it raises, the meat of which is used for avariety of purposes. Not only is the whole turkeythe traditional Thanksgiving meal in the U.S.,but the turkey meat is processed as sandwichmeat, smoked turkey ham, and even turkey hotdogs.

Industry

The food and agricultural industries are veryimportant in Minnesota, and these two industriescombined are second only to the computer andelectronics industry as the leading employer inthe state. This doesn’t only mean farmers,because the number of people doing the actualfarming is very few. Rather, many people areneeded to package and make the food into allthe different food products that we have on storeshelves today.

One major food company, General Mills (thecompany that produces Cheerios and othercereals), is located in Minneapolis (population382,578), a large city on the Mississippi Riverin the eastern part of the state. Minneapolis

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rapidly, as many immigrants, especially fromnorthern Europe, came to settle there. Minnesotabecame a state in 1858.

Land

Minnesota is called the North Star State afterits state motto which is “The Star of the North.”At latitude of just over 49 degrees north, a littlespike of land in northern Minnesota’s Lake ofthe Woods is the northernmost point of the 48contiguous (all states touching along oneboundary) states. This point is farther north thanMaine which doesn’t even reach 48 degreesnorth, and it is farther north than all the rest ofthe border with Canada. To the west ofMinnesota are the Dakotas, to the south is Iowa,and to the east is Wisconsin.

Northeast Minnesota is a mountainous land thatis rugged and not very good for farming. Rather,this land with its shores on Lake Superior ismining country. The land has beautiful forestsand rugged cliffs and wilderness areas that aregreat for hiking and canoeing, especially inVoyageurs National Park and the BoundaryWaters area. Lake Superior, to the east, is thelargest and deepest of the Great Lakes.

The state has over 12,000 lakes (which isinteresting because the state is known as “theland of 10,000 lakes”). These lakes are greatfor fishing and tourism. Lake Itasca, in the centerof the state, is the starting point for the greatMississippi River, and at one point here you caneven walk across the Great River! Plains formmost of the center of the state, while thenorthwest part is the river valley of the RedRiver of the North.

The Red River of the North and the MinnesotaRiver are interesting because they both beginvery close to each other but flow in oppositedirections. Although from a distance they maylook like one river, they are not! The Red River

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shares the Twin Cities area with St. Paul(population 285,068) the capital of Minnesota.The 3M Company (Minnesota Mining andManufacturing) is also located here. Thiscompany is known for its new products whichsave time for people, such as Scotch Tape. Alongwith many other important companies that makecomputer and electronic equipment, Target andBest Buy Stores have headquarters in the area.You can see that the Twin Cities are importantto Minnesota, because over 60 percent ofMinnesota’s residents live there! The Mall ofAmerica, the second largest mall in NorthAmerica, is near the Twin Cities. Rochester,Minnesota, to the south, is home to Mayo Clinic,one of the most influential health treatmentcenters in the world.

Other industries in Minnesota are located mostlyin the northeast highland areas. Here, timberand mining are significant industries. Iron mininghas always been an important part of the state’seconomy. While the high grade iron has beendepleted (it is all mined out), low grade iron orecalled taconite is still mined here. “Low grade”means that when taconite is mined it only has alittle bit of iron in a big piece of rock. Much of

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the iron mined there is shipped out of the portof Duluth at the western tip of Lake Superior.

Iowa - The Hawkeye State

Introduction

Iowa receives its name from the Ioway Indianswho inhabited the land. Other tribes in the areawere the Sioux (SOO) and Oto Indians whomLewis and Clark met on their voyage up theMissouri River. Iowa remembers Lewis andClark with many signs and markers along thehighways and rivers, but the most important siteis the monument to Sergeant Charles Floyd nearSioux City, the only member of the Lewis andClark expedition to die on the journey (he diedof a burst appendix).

The “Hawkeye State” is the nickname of Iowa,after the important Sauk (SAWK) Indian chiefBlackhawk. During the early 1800s, when theUnited States settlers began coming to northernIllinois, Blackhawk, along with the British,resisted this advance. During the War of 1812,Blackhawk helped the British in the defeat ofthe U.S. at Fort Madison in the only war battle

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Land

When people think of Iowa, they oftencomment about the flat land. But this is notentirely true, since much of the land is quitehilly. The soil of the land is some of the richestsoil in the world. Before the settlers came, thisland had grasses that were so tall the people hadto stand in their wagons to see over the top.Early farmers had a difficult time running theirplows through the grass in order to plant theircrops.

As you travel from the northwest to thesoutheast, the land gradually gets lower inelevation until you reach the Mississippi River.Nebraska and South Dakota are to the west,Minnesota to the north, Illinois is on the east,and Missouri is the state south of Iowa. It issandwiched between two great American rivers,the Missouri and the Mississippi. Down thecenter of the state, the Des Moines River flowssoutheast to the Mississippi River.

Farming

The thing that quickly comes to mind about thestate of Iowa is farming. This is true since almostall of the land is used for agriculture. Whentourists travel across the state in the summer,the waving fields of corn and soybeans seemendless, because Iowa’s fields produce the mostcorn and soybeans of any other state. Farmersrotate these two crops so that the soil keeps itsnutrients.

Another major agricultural industry is raisinghogs (or pigs). Farmers purchase young pigs atlow prices (or they are born on their farms). Thefarmers feed the pigs with food that often isgrown on the farmer’s own fields. They carefullymaintain the temperature in the building becausepigs can’t cool themselves with sweat as humanscan. When the pigs are heavy enough, they arebrought to be slaughtered.

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ever fought in Iowa. Years after the war, theUnited States forced Blackhawk and his peopleto move to southeastern Iowa, but he resistedthe idea and returned to northern Illinois. Theresult was the Blackhawk War of 1832, the warin which Abraham Lincoln was involved.Blackhawk was chased until his army wasdefeated in western Wisconsin. The famouschief finally died in southeastern Iowa in 1838.

During the 1800s, settlers continued to comeinto Iowa and planted and harvested crops onthe rich prairie land. In 1867, the first railroadwas completed across the whole state, anaccomplishment which continued to help shipthe farm products and also to bring new settlersto the frontier. An artist from Iowa namedGrant Wood is famous for painting the settlersand farmers who came to Iowa. His most well-known painting is called American Gothic whichshows a farmer standing with a pitchfork in handwith his wife at his side.

American Gothicby Grant Wood 141

Davenport is a large city along the Mississippiin southeastern Iowa. Davenport andBettendorf, Iowa, along with Rock Island andMoline, Illinois, form part of a largemetropolitan area called the Quad Cities (whichmeans 4 cities).

During the recession that started in 2008, mostof the industries in Iowa have done well exceptfor a company called Winnebago, which buildsrecreation vehicles (or motor homes). Thisbusiness has declined because in a recessionmany people simply don’t have enough moneyto buy a luxury item (or a product that theywould like to have, but really don’t need.)

Missouri - The Show Me State

Introduction

Our history of Missouri begins with the NativeAmericans that lived in the region beforesettlement by white men. At that time, a numberof tribes lived here, primarily the Missouri andthe Osage Indians. As you have learned, Frenchexplorers, including Marquette, Joliet, and LaSalle came to explore the land in the late 1600s.These men traveled down the Mississippi Riverwhich borders the east side of the state. Afterthe French lost to the British in the French andIndian War, they lost control of Missouri. Ratherthan giving the land east of the Mississippi totheir enemies the British, they gave the land tothe Spaniards (their friends) in 1762 before thewar ended. About this time, the city of St.Louis began as a trading post.

While Spain owned Missouri, Daniel Boonelived in Missouri and was actually an agentworking for the Spanish! He died in centralMissouri in a home he built which tourists canvisit today. To this day, there is an argument

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Economy

Because Iowa is a farming state, the mostimportant business is food processing.Companies such as Cargill buy the grain fromthe farmers who ship it by truck and train tolarge elevators.

A grain elevator is a large group of connectedsilos (or circular towers that hold grain). Hugetrucks are tipped up to let out the grain, andtrain cars have huge openings where grain canspill out into a holding bin. This grain is thenshipped to large businesses to be made into avariety of foods. Another food business is themeat-packing plants, where hogs, cattle, or otheranimals are brought to be slaughtered. Thenmeat is cut off the animal and packed intopackages.

Iowa is not only known for businesses that haveto do with agriculture. The state capital, DesMoines (Deh MOYNE) (population 203,433),located in the middle of the state, is home tomajor insurance providers. In the eastern partof the state is Cedar Rapids, where the RockwellCollins Company which producescommunication equipment for aerospace(airplanes and space ships) is located. Wind-millproduction in Iowa is growing because more andmore Iowa farmers are using their land for windfarms used to run huge electric generators.

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Reformed Worldview Perspective:Animal rights people in our country oftenargue that killing pigs or cows for theirmeat is wrong. Read Genesis 9 anddiscuss whether Christians are allowedto eat meat. Also, discuss whetheranimals may be kept in small spaceswhere they can’t even move around.

Because many people travelled through it to getto the west, Missouri is called a gateway state.To celebrate this idea, St. Louis built theGateway Arch, a landmark tourist attractionon the Mississippi River. Among those whotraveled through Missouri to get to the west wereLewis and Clark. In the mid 1800s, settlers leftMissouri on the Oregon Trail to get to theOregon Country. The Santa Fe Trail began hereand brought goods to and from Santa Fe in whatis now New Mexico. In 1860, horses carriedmail to the west by the Pony Express whichstarted in Missouri and went all the way toCalifornia. The Pony Express soon becameobsolete (not the best way to do it anymore),

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between Missouri and Kentucky about theburying place of Boone.

The Spanish soon gave Missouri back to theFrench, who in turn sold it to the United Statesas part of the Louisiana Purchase. The city ofSt. Louis surely changed hands many times inthose days! When Lewis and Clark came in 1803to begin their important trip to the west,Missouri was in the United States for good. Ontheir trip west, Lewis and Clark wrote that theymet French people and Indians along theMissouri river as they travelled. Clark evenwrote notes about a good place to build a fort.After it was built it was called Fort Osage, afterthe Osage Indians who traded there.

Daniel Boone's home inMissouri, where he died

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because the railroad came through Missouri andeventually went all the way to California.

The state had much fighting over the slaveryquestion before and during the Civil War.According to the terms of the MissouriCompromise, Missouri became a slave state in1820 at the same time that Maine became a freestate, so that the slave states and free states eachreceived one state. Yet, arguments about slaverycontinued, and eventually in the 1860s soldiersfought the Civil War even in Missouri. Afterthe war, Missouri grew quickly, as settlers cameinto the state on the railroads. The first railroadbridge was at Hannibal, a town in northeasternMissouri that is always connected with MarkTwain. He was a famous American writer whosereal name was Samuel L. Clemens.

Land

Missouri’s plains region in the north is good forfarming. Most of the rivers of the state flowinto either the Missouri River or the MississippiRiver. The Missouri River forms the border formost of northwest Missouri, until it continueseast across the center of the state and flows intothe Mississippi River. Note on the map on page132 that the “Great River” forms the easternborder with Illinois (as well as with Kentuckyand Tennessee on the southeast). Iowa is northof Missouri; Arkansas is to the south, whileKansas is to the west, along with Nebraska inthe northwest and Oklahoma in the southwest.

In contrast to northern Missouri, the southernpart has highland forests. Tourists like to visitthe Ozark Plateau because of its lakes, rivers,and forests. Beautiful waterfalls and interestingcaves are other destinations for tourists. Thefar southeastern section of Missouri has a “bootheel”, a small strip of lowland along theMississippi River that is great for farming. Thisarea is also earthquake territory, especially nearNew Madrid.

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Farming

The boot heel area of Missouri has widespreadfarming. Because it is far enough south andalong the river, this is the only place where riceand cotton are grown. Corn and wheat are raisedhere, while corn is also grown in the northernhalf. Wheat is a product of central and westernMissouri.

Missouri’s most important agricultural productsare cattle and hogs. Cattle are raised throughoutthe state, but especially in the southwest.Farmers raise hogs in the northern part of thestate.

Economy

There are a number of cities in Missouri thatare important, but the two prominent ones areKansas City in the west and St. Louis in theeast. The capital, Jefferson City, is in the centerof the state.

As we learned, St. Louis began as a trading postand now it has grown to be one of the importantcities in the United States. It used to be muchlarger in population, but now many people have

The Gateway Arch in St. Louis is a symbolthat the city was a gateway to enter thewestern United States.

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moved to the suburbs (the population is now319,294). While the inner city was poor in thelate 1900s with many old buildings, many havebeen made over and the city has grown again tobe a beautiful city with the Gateway Arch inthe center. Electrical equipment, cars, andairplane manufacturing are important to thearea’s economy. A number of well-knowncompanies have headquarters in the area.Monsanto Company is a St. Louis companyknown for biotechnology and agricultureproducts which help the American farmer.Anheuser-Busch, which once was a largeAmerican beer producer from St. Louis, has beenpurchased by a foreign company called InBev,but continues to manufacture beer.

Kansas City (population 459,787) is on the westside of the state. People often are confusedabout why Kansas City is in Missouri and notKansas. Actually, there is a Kansas City, Kansas,

Barges bring goods up and downthe Mississippi River on the easternside of Missouri.

Downtown St. Louis fromthe top of the GatewayArch

DowntownKansas

City

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Plains Statesright across the border between the states.Kansas City, Missouri began in the mid 1800sand became known as a place where rancherscould bring their cattle for slaughter, but it closedits last cattle stockyard many years ago. Nowthe city is known for making automobiles andfor a company that helps people with their taxes,called H & R Block.

Missouri leads the nation in lead mining, whichis found in the southern part of the state.Although lead is poisonous to people, it can beused properly as a shield for radiation (x-raymachines use radiation) and for batteries. Inthe past, companies used lead in car gasolineand paints but this is now illegal (against thelaw) because it pollutes and causes leadpoisoning if paint chips are eaten or dust isinhaled.

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North Dakota is named after the Dakota Indianswho lived in the area. Other tribes are theHidatsa and the Mandan, tribes that Lewis andClark came to know during the winter of 1803/1804. These Indians built earth huts which keptthem cool in the summer and warm in thewinter. Tourists can visit the Knife River IndianVillages today, near Bismarck, the capital ofNorth Dakota.

Land

The Land of North Dakota gently rolls downfrom highland in the west to lowland in the east.The western part of the state can be very dry,but it is a place of beautiful buttes and carvedshapes. Geographers call these unusual shapesbadlands. The beauty of God’s creation can bebreathtaking here too, especially around theTheodore Roosevelt National Park. The GreatPlains are found in the center of the state. Both

Reformed Worldview Perspective: Whenpeople want to sell their house,according to the law they must tell theseller if there is lead paint in the house.Since lead is usually present in oldhouses, discuss what a Christian shoulddo when selling an old house that haslead paint in it.

Replica MandanEarth Lodges

North Dakota - The Peace GardenState

Introduction

Our border with Canada is very large andstretches in a straight line for hundreds of milesfrom Minnesota to the Pacific. We are thankfulfor Canada, a peaceful country and our friendto the north. This peaceful friendship iscelebrated at the International Peace Gardenlocated on the border between North Dakotaand Manitoba (Canada). Every year over150,000 flowers are planted in this beautifulspot on the border that includes a floral clockand concrete towers straddling the border, witha chapel below.

Reformed Worldview Perspective: Thenation to our north has been peacefulwith us for many years. Yet, people fromother countries often say that weAmericans only think about ourselves.Discuss how we can care for our fellowChristians in other lands such as Canada.

of these areas can be very hot in summer andbrutally cold in the winter. Yet, the Great Plainsstill is used for farming and produces certaincrops that can stand a short growing season.

The mighty Missouri River flows from thewestern border with Montana, curves to thesouth in the center of the state, and then flowsstraight to the southern border with SouthDakota. In the center of the state there is animportant dam called the Garrison Dam thatholds back the water of the river. Thebackwaters behind the dam are called LakeSakakawea, after the female Indian guide of theLewis and Clark expedition (we usually spell hername Sacagawea).

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Notice on the map that as you travel fromMontana, which is west of the state, the landgradually gets lower and lower until you reachthe Red River of the North, on the eastern sideof the state. The Red River Valley is the lowestand flattest area of the state, and is good forfarming. East of the Red River is Minnesota.

Farming

The cold winters and dry climate of NorthDakota prevent farmers from raising many kindsof crops. Therefore, North Dakota farmerschoose to plant crops that have short growing

Large harvested fields of wheat cover theland of North Dakota in late summer.

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seasons and rely on less rainfall. A crop such asdurum wheat (or hard wheat seeds) is grown inNorth Dakota because it can grow with less rainwhen compared to other crops. In fact, NorthDakota leads the nation in the production ofdurum, a type of spring wheat, which is plantedin the spring and harvested in the fall. Thewheat is used to make bread, pasta, and otherfood products. Every time you eat spaghetti,chances are there is North Dakota durum in it!

In addition to shimmering golden wheat fields,North Dakota’s highways are beautiful in thesummer, especially when the sunflower andcanola plants are in full bloom. Products fromsunflowers include oil for cooking and sunflowerseeds. Canola is a plant with a yellow flowerthat looks somewhat like a mustard plant. NorthDakota produces one-half of all the sunflowers

and four-fifths of all the canola plants in theUnited States. Farmers in North Dakota areplanting canola even more than ever beforebecause canola oil is becoming more popularand therefore they get paid good prices for thecrop. North Dakota farmers raise a wide varietyof crops with all different types of seeds, manyof which are used in birdseed mixes.

Sunflower field in North Dakota

Reformed Worldview Perspective: Asmany people know, sunflowers turntoward the sun, and this reminds us allthat we receive our strength from God.What are some other examples of thisin God’s creation?

Economy

North Dakota has one of the smallestpopulations in the country at 672,591 people.The population is not growing very fast becausemany of the young people who graduate fromhigh school and college are moving to other partsof the country. Located on the Red River ofthe North in the eastern part of the state, Fargo(population 105,549) is the largest city in NorthDakota. While Fargo has many businesses thatrely on agriculture, the city is working hard toattract new businesses. Microsoft agreed in 2007to increase the number of computer jobs in thearea, which was good news for the state. GrandForks (population 52,838) is another city on theRed River in the northeastern part of the state.A large air force base is nearby, as well as acompany that builds parts for the growingwindmill industry. Bismarck (population61,272), the capital of North Dakota, is in thecenter of the state. North Dakota has one ofthe lowest unemployment rates in the country.

North Dakota has large amounts of oilunderground but it is so expensive to pump itout that oil companies only come when the priceof oil is high enough for them to make a profit.The state also has brown coal which is calledlignite. For many years, the state burned browncoal for power. But brown coal pollutes the air,so recently businesses have built power plantswhich burn brown coal in a way that doesn’tpollute the air.

South Dakota - The MountRushmore State

Introduction

In the Black Hills of southwestern SouthDakota is Mount Rushmore, a monument to fourimportant presidents of the United States:George Washington, Thomas Jefferson,Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln.South Dakota is called the Mount Rushmore

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State in honor of this significant landmark.South Dakota became a state in 1889 at thesame time as North Dakota did. Both of thesestates were originally part of the DakotaTerritory before statehood.

Both North and South Dakota got their namesfrom the Dakota Indians, which are part of theSioux (SOO) nation. Other tribes here are theTeton Sioux (Lakota) and the Yankton Sioux(Lakota). Another major tribe in the area is theArikara (Ah RIH cah rah). While the Frenchhad already explored the Missouri River in the1700s, American exploration in this area beganwith Lewis and Clark’s expedition up theMissouri River in 1803. As Lewis and Clarktraveled up the river, the Teton Sioux were asource of trouble to the expedition, and theynearly caused the explorers to turn back.

Settlers moved into South Dakota in the 1800s,especially after gold was discovered in the BlackHills. The Sioux Indians resisted this settlementin the Sioux War of 1876 which the UnitedStates won. By the late 1880s the last hope ofthe Sioux was what they described as the “ghostdance”. In this dance, the Indian leaders toldtheir warriors that with certain “ghost shirts”they would not be killed by the bullets of thewhite man. Obviously, they were wrong. Afamous Indian chief named Sitting Bull became

Fargo, North Dakota

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involved, causing the United States governmentto become nervous. The result was theWounded Knee Massacre which many peopleregard as one of the worst massacres in Americanhistory. In this incident, about 300 Indian men,women, and children died of their injuries afterhaving been shot by United States soldiers onone of many Indian reservations in SouthDakota. Although twenty-nine soldiers died,most of them were accidentally shot in thebattle by other U.S. soldiers. Remember that amassacre occurs when an army kills people thatthey really don’t have to kill.

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South Dakota borders a number of states.North Dakota is directly north, Minnesota andIowa are to the east, Nebraska is to the south,and Montana and Wyoming are to the west. Theeastern part of South Dakota is lowland aroundthe James River which flows southward to theMissouri River. Many of the other major rivers(especially in the west) flow eastward, also intothe Missouri River.

This western region of South Dakota, althoughdrier and rugged, is beautiful country. Residentsand tourists can drive over a rise and see abeautiful view of plains and buttes. In the farsouthwest are the gorgeous Black Hills,mountains that rise to an elevation of 7,000 feet.Badlands National Park is also an area thattourists can explore and see the wind carvedshapes in this dry region of the state.

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Reformed Worldview Perspective:Children in the United States learn thatmulticulturalism is very important.Multiculturalism means that we mustlearn to respect other people eventhough they are different. The Bibleteaches that God’s people are from allnations, even from nations whose peopleare very different. However, the worldalso teaches today that we must tolerateother religions such as the heathenpractices of the Native Americans. Thismeans that students are encouraged tolearn heathen teachings and dances ofthe Indians, and not say anything againstthe teachings. Discuss what the Biblesays about witnessing when the worldsays that we must tolerate otherreligions.

Land

The land of South Dakota can be divided intotwo main areas, “east river” and “west river”.The major dividing river is the Missouri or the“Big Muddy” as many people call it. When youcross the Missouri River, you are immediatelyaware that the land to the west is drier and filledwith more rugged land features. As was true inNorth Dakota, the elevation goes up as youtravel west in South Dakota.

Reformed Worldview Perspective: Howdo we answer those who say that theBadlands were formed over millions ofyears by the carving of the wind andwater? Try to find Scripture passages touse in your discussion.

Farming

Thousands of cattle and buffalo graze on thehills and plains of South Dakota. Like severalother states, South Dakota has many more cattlethan people! These livestock are the foremostagricultural product of the state although cornand soybeans are also important. These cropsare grown mostly “east river” using irrigationfrom the rivers, especially the Missouri. Hugesprinklers water large pieces of land. Withoutthis, the corn and soybeans could not grow.South Dakota also grows a large amount ofwheat.

South Dakota and North Dakota are leadingbeekeeping states. Many farmers have boxesof bees on the edges of their farmland. Some

beekeepers send their bee colonies to otherstates so that the bees can pollinate other crops,such as blueberries.

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Industry

Like North Dakota, South Dakota does not havea large population. While the state’s populationis growing slowly because of urban growth, thepopulation in the rural areas is getting smallerbecause the young people are not staying in thestate, and in many places, only older peopleremain. Farms are getting bigger, because morethan ever before, machines are doing the farmwork and not people. Yet, because thepopulation is growing older and the governmentencourages business, South Dakota’sunemployment remains very low across thestate. Many government workers are in Pierre(PEER), the state capital that is in the centerof the state.

Sioux Falls (population 153,888) is a place wherethe population is growing because of good jobs.This city in the southeastern corner of the stateis quickly becoming a center for hospitals. Thisis good news for the state of South Dakota. TheMorrell meatpacking plant is located here andhas been an important business for a long time

Reformed Worldview Perspective:Scientists are very concerned about thehoneybee because many food crops relyon bee pollination. As you may know,the honeybee is not a native insect toNorth America. In the past few years,many bees have died because of whatscientists call colony collapse disorder(CCD). They really don’t know what iscausing the bees’ death. As Christians,we know that God is sending even thisdisorder for His purposes. Evenscientists, with all their learning, can’tfigure out CCD. What do you think Godis telling the world when these thingshappen in the creation today?

Capitol in Pierre, South Dakota

in South Dakota due to the many livestockraised in the region.

As is true with so many other states in the region,in an effort to find new “green” sources ofenergy, windmill production is growing. ThePlains States always have wind, so many farmersand businesses are building huge wind farmswith hundreds of windmills, as a way to produceelectricity.

South Dakota benefits from tourism in the BlackHills and Mount Rushmore region. The naturalbeauty of southwest South Dakota draws peopleto spend money at hotels and restaurants aroundcities such as Rapid City (population 67,956).In the past, businesses mined gold in these hills,but only one major gold mine remains today,although you may know someone who hasbought Black Hills gold jewelry in South Dakota.

Nebraska - The Cornhusker State

Introduction

Beginning in Missouri, many westward trails thatwe mentioned earlier, including the Oregon Trailand the Pony Express route, came throughNebraska along the Platte River. While thePawnee and Omaha Indians in eastern Nebraskawere friendly to the settlers, the natives inwestern Nebraska were not. Families of the

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Teton Sioux in western Nebraska were nothappy that the settlers used up the pasturelandsthat their animals needed, especially because theTeton Sioux valued their horses, which aredescendants of the horses brought into NorthAmerica by the Spanish in the 1500s. Bands ofcovered wagons were concerned about thisIndian threat, so the United States often sentsoldiers to protect the wagon trains. FortKearny, near today’s city of Kearney, was builtin 1848 as a base for the soldiers.

The Indians continued to fight until in 1851 theysigned a treaty with the United States at FortLaramie in Wyoming. As had been done before,the United States government officials changedthe words of these treaties to benefit America.As a result, the Indians were moved off the landand onto reservations, opening up land forsettlers. Then in 1862, the Homestead Act waspassed, and as a result, settlers flocked into theland to till the soil and grow crops. Thesefarmers were called sodbusters because theycut the thick sod (grass) from land. They even

Plains States

used the bricks of grass to build their houses!In addition, the First Transcontinental Railroad(a railroad that went across the whole U.S.) wasfinished in 1869, allowing the farmers to shipand sell their crops in the east. Nebraska waswell on its way as a farming state, and it becamea state in 1867, mostly because of the largenumber of people who took advantage of theHomestead Act.

Land

Plains cover most of the state of Nebraska.Beginning on the eastern border with Iowa andMissouri, the plains gradually rise in elevationas you go west. The lowlands of easternNebraska along the Missouri River are veryfertile farm areas. As you enter the Great Plainsof central Nebraska, land once covered bygrasslands for mile upon mile comes into view.

Finally, as you enter western Nebraska, the landshows that the climate is dry. This is the areaof the Sand Hills and the High Plains. The

152Grasslands and farms of Nebraska

scenery is awesome because of the buttes andother rock formations. Early settlers along thewestward trails knew of these landforms,especially Chimney Rock and Scottsbluff, whichbecame landmarks for the pioneers.

The settlers followed the Platte River, the majorriver of Nebraska that flows from west to east.The Platte is formed when the North Platte Riverout of Wyoming and the South Platte River outof Colorado come together. The Platte River,as well as other rivers in Nebraska, is used todayfor irrigation.

Farming

Nebraska is called the Cornhusker State becausethe state’s most important crop is corn.Cornhusking means to take a corn cob out ofits husk (outer covering). The state ranks thirdin the United States in the amount of cornproduced, almost half of which is used in theproduction of ethanol. Because there is notenough rain in Nebraska to grow corn, farmersuse irrigation for crop production in almost one-half of the state.

Nebraska’s farms benefit from water in aquifers,which are places underground where there ismuch water in the soil. Underneath Nebraska,as well as other Plains States, there is a hugeaquifer called the Ogallala Aquifer, supplyingwater to irrigate field crops. This is how theprocess works. First, farmers dig ditches fromrivers to their land or they put a pipe down tothe aquifer. Second, they pump water throughpipes into the fields. Third, they attach theirsprinklers to a large pole in the middle of thefield. Then the huge line of sprinklers swingsin a circle around the field like the hand of aclock. In dry areas, only this circle of crops isgreen while the corners of the field are brown.It is interesting that airplane travelers can see

Plains States

these circles of green from the sky as “greendots” against the brown, dry land.

While corn is an important crop to Nebraska,the most prominent product is livestock.Nebraska’s farmers raise cattle from when theyare young, and then sell the fattened cattle’s meatin order to make money. Only the state of Texashas more cattle and calves than Nebraska. Otheragricultural products are hogs, soybeans, andwheat.

Industry

Nebraska’s food industry is the most importantto the economy. Omaha (population 408,958)is home to ConAgra, a food company whichprocesses and packages food for people to eat.This city on the Missouri River in easternNebraska is growing rapidly. Insurancecompanies and banks provide good jobs forOmaha’s workers. The Union Pacific Railroad,a large United States railroad for many years,has its headquarters in the city. And, in the1960s, the U.S. Government built the worldheadquarters of the Strategic Air Command(SAC) here. This is a complex where our militaryhas all its communication equipment. Someexamples of communication equipment arephones and internet lines which allow people toeasily communicate with each other from longdistances, something which is especiallyimportant in wartime. Because of the SAC,Omaha is a center for telecommunicationcompanies (companies that provide Internet andlong-distance telephone services).

Lincoln, the capital of Nebraska, is also growingrapidly, and its population is now 258,379. Thegovernment of Nebraska is different in that ithas only one house in its legislative (law-making)branch while all the other states have twohouses. This one-house legislature is called aunicameral legislature. Although the state’s

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economy usually goes down when the country’seconomy goes down, and up when the countrydoes well, Nebraska has enough jobs so thatunemployment is low.

Kansas - The Sunflower State

Introduction

Kansas is named for the Native American tribecalled the Kansa. The Kansa are a main tribeof the area along with the Pawnees and theOsage. When Lewis and Clark traveled up theMissouri River on what is now the northeastborder of Kansas, they met with these Indians.While the Spanish and French visited Kansasbefore Lewis and Clark, other Americanexplorers such as Zebulon Pike traveled throughthe state after them in 1806. It is interestingthat another American named Stephen H. Long,of the U.S. military, called this area the “Great

Plains States

American Desert”, and for many years,Americans thought of the area as a desert.

But when settlers heard that farming was possiblein Kansas, they moved into the state. Settlerswho traveled the famous Santa Fe Trail throughthe state had problems with native Indians thatare similar to the problems that we discussedbefore. The population in the state grew rapidlybecause both pro-slavery and anti-slaverysettlers moved into the state, hoping to gaincontrol. When Kansas had enough people tobecome a state in the late 1850s, pro-slaverypeople (wanted slavery), and abolitionists (didn’twant slavery), fought battles over the issue sothat the state became known as “BleedingKansas”. These events were important causesof the Civil War, a war in which Kansas was abattleground of slavery. In one of the worstmassacres of the war, Confederate soldiers

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Capitol in Topeka, Kansas

under William C. Quantrill killed 180 people inLawrence because they were against slavery.

After the Civil War, the United States was atpeace and Kansas continued to grow inpopulation. Railroads brought settlers into thestate and cattle to the market. These cattle werebrought in from Texas to the railroads of Kansasby cowboys. After the long ride, they oftencelebrated by gambling and living in a verywicked way. This was the lawless time of theWild West, a rowdy time when the law did notmean very much.

Kansas continued to be an agricultural state inthe 1900s and on until the present day. Duringthe 1930s, there was a period of terrible drought(the Dust Bowl).

Land

Plains cover most of Kansas, similar to the statesnearby, Nebraska (north), Colorado (west),Oklahoma (south), and Missouri (east). Also,

Plains States

like the other Plains States, the land rises as yougo west. Beginning in the east, the land is lowplains that are good for farming. As you continuewest, the Great Plains are found in the center.Finally, there are high plains in the far westernpart of the state, where the highest point isMount Sunflower at 4,039 feet.

Many of the rivers in Kansas feed into the twomain rivers of the state, the Kansas and theArkansas. The Kansas River flows through manyimportant Kansas cities, such as Topeka (thecapital) and Kansas City, Kansas. The ArkansasRiver begins in Colorado, flows through southernKansas, and eventually joins the MississippiRiver in Arkansas.

Farming

The Sunflower State is named for the manysunflower fields that are across the state. Theseeds and oil of the crop are used for variousfoods for people and animals.

Grain elevatorshave long rows ofsilos where grainis stored andloaded onto trains.Shown here isAtchison, Kansas.

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The leading crop is winter wheat which is grownover the whole state. This type of wheat isplanted in the fall and harvested in the late springor early summer. After it is planted in the fall,the wheat plant grows enough to get roots intothe ground. During the winter, the plant doesn’tgrow much, but when spring comes it growsquickly. Winter wheat is grown in Kansasbecause it is not as cold as states such as NorthDakota. The wheat crop and the corn crop inKansas are irrigated from aquifers. There is aconcern in Kansas, because while Nebraskaseems to have plenty of water, the Kansasunderground water supply is becoming lessplentiful.

Plains States

dry land. Therefore ranches make more sensethan cropland. In many parts, farmers even raisebison (buffalo) for their meat.

Industry

As with most of the western Plains states, thepeople of Kansas are leaving the country andmoving to the city, but the overall population isstill slowly growing. The economy of Kansas isdoing well compared to the other states in theregion. The unemployment rate is low and thereare jobs in the big cities.

Wichita (population 382,368) has been a centerof the airplane industry for some time. Largecorporations such as Cessna and Boeing employthousands of workers in their factories. Manyother companies in the area also benefit fromthis industry.

Overland Park (population 173,372) and KansasCity, Kansas (population 145,786), two largecities in Kansas, are actually suburbs of KansasCity, Missouri. Overland Park is a growing citydue mainly to its telecomm-unicationscompanies such as Sprint Nextel.

Kansas has many reserves of natural resources,including oil and helium. Helium is used notonly for party balloons, but also for rockets,welding, hot-air balloons, and air supply fordivers. Kansas is also building windmills just likethe other Plains states. More and more, residentsand tourists see semi-trucks carrying the Kansas-made long blades of the windmill to the windfarms.

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Reformed Worldview Perspective:Discuss what you would do as a farmerin western Kansas where the water in theaquifer is disappearing. You know thisbecause your wells don’t pump as muchwater as before. You also know thatsome crops such as corn need morewater than crops such as winter wheat.Winter wheat is one crop grown in dryland farming- farming that is used in dryareas. The government also isconcerned that not enough water isdown below for future generations. Whatshould you plant?

While growing crops is important to Kansas’sagriculture, raising beef cattle is the biggestmoney maker. Cattle roam the fields of theGreat Plains of Kansas. Like most of the westernPlains States, it has more cattle because of the

Introduction

Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana (loo EE zee ANNah), and Arkansas (AR ken saw) are entirely tothe west of the Mississippi River, except for asmall part of Louisiana. South of these statesis the great Gulf of Mexico, and to the northare the Plains States. Large sections of thesestates became part of our country through theLouisiana Purchase which we discussed lastchapter. The United States gained much ofTexas after the war against Mexico.

When people think about Texas, they often havein mind cowboys with pistols in their hands,shooting over their shoulders at Indians, or theythink of two cowboys having a gunfight on adusty road in a frontier town in order to settle aquarrel. While some of these stories may betrue, they seldom happened in the Old West.Rather, cowboys worked very long hours drivingcattle from deep in Texas all the way intoKansas, as well as other states, along well

established trails to the railroads. It is true thatthey met and fought with Indians, but theirgreatest desire was to have enough water andfood. They had to ride in rain and storm, as wellas blistering heat.

Some of the cattle trails were the Goodnight-Loving Trail to Colorado, the Chisholm Trail toKansas, and the Shawnee Trail to Missouri.From the time the Civil War ended until the1880s, cowboys drove cattle up these trails sothat people in the eastern United States couldhave beef to eat. Cities with meat-packingbuildings, such as St. Louis and Chicago, wouldhave tens of thousands of bellowing cattlemilling around in pens. What a sight and soundthat must have been! Today, cattle are still raisedon ranches, but the ranches are much smaller.Maybe, you have seen cattle being hauled on asemi-truck on the way to market. After thosecattle are killed, their meat is made intohamburger and steak that are so good to eat.

Land

The land of the West South Central States beginswith the desert-like high plains of eastern Texasand Oklahoma. This is a land which shows thewonderfully creative power of God Who createdthe mesas, buttes, and canyons with their cactusplants and short grasses. As you move east, theplains gradually go down in elevation until theyreach the Mississippi River.

Because of the elevation change, the rivers ofthe region flow from west to east. The ArkansasRiver flows through Oklahoma and Arkansasand eventually into the Mississippi at the eastern

West South Central StatesChapter Nine

Longhorn cattle are asymbol of Texas. 157

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Maps.com

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Maps.com

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Population Map of theWest South Central States

Arkansas - ARLouisiana - LAOklahoma - OKTexas - TX

West South Central States

border. The Red River, which forms the borderbetween Oklahoma and Texas, continuesthrough Louisiana until it meets the MississippiRiver. The great Rio Grande River, which feedsinto the Gulf of Mexico in eastern Texas, is thenatural southern border between Texas andMexico. Finally, the great Mississippi Riverflows along the east of the region and along itsgrowing delta empties into the Gulf of Mexico.A delta is a landform made from dirt left behindwhen the water slows down to enter a large bodyof water. A large part of southeastern Louisianais a delta formed by the Mississippi River.

Mountainous areas north and south of theArkansas River are found in eastern Oklahomaand western Arkansas. To the east of Arkansas,along the Mississippi River, the land is muchlower. This is the land of swamps and marshes,and back-waters and cypress trees.

Climate

The climate of the West South Central Stateschanges from the west to the east. WesternTexas and western Oklahoma only receive about12 inches of rain each year, making farmingnearly impossible. The land is arid, or very dryand desert-like.

The eastern part of the region is extremely hotand humid in the summer, making the air so“sticky” that it is unbearable to be outside.Although the winters are cool, these states getmuch less snow than the northern states, andsouthern Texas and Louisiana rarely receive anysnow.

Strong storms often hit the states of this region.Tornadoes form in the spring and summer whenthe warm winds from the Gulf of Mexico meetthe cool winds from the north. Tornado Alley,an area where many tornadoes form, is centeredespecially in Oklahoma. The swirling funnel

and very high winds often cause great damageto homes and farms.

Hurricanes are also a severe threat to Louisianaand Texas. Recently, the terribly destructiveHurricane Katrina of August 2005 heavilydamaged much of New Orleans, Louisiana.Areas of the city were under water for days, andmany people were left homeless and withoutfood and water for a long time. We will discussthis hurricane further in the section onLouisiana.

Economy

Farms

The Mississippi lowland plains in the easternpart of the West South Central States have somerich farmland where farmers grow cotton, rice,and sugarcane. These crops need much waterto thrive. Farms in Arkansas are known for rice,while sugarcane is grown in the delta area ofthe Mississippi River.

The central Great Plains and the western partof the region are better suited for raisinglivestock such as cattle and sheep, than forgrowing crops which require more water. Thesedrier areas also have cotton fields that grow with

A tornado in Oklahoma

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mentioned in the last chapter, this was a hugeenvironmental disaster.

The West South Central States are home to manyfood processing companies. Chickens arepackaged in several ways before being sent tothe stores. Important stores such as Wal-Mart,ranked first in 2010 retail sales in the U.S., hadtheir beginnings in this region. The region alsohas several shipping ports on the Texas andLouisiana coast.

History

Before the land of the Louisiana Purchasebecame part of the U.S., it was owned by theSpanish and then the French. Louisiana wasnamed after the French King Louis XIV (thefourteenth) by La Salle, who sailed down theMississippi on the eastern border of the WestSouth Central States in 1682. De Soto also hadtraveled through the region for Spain in the1540s.

As the land became more settled, New Orleansdeveloped into an important port because it wasnear the mouth of the Mississippi River. All ofthe goods from the inner part of North Americacame through this port, and this meant that thenation which ruled New Orleans controlledmuch of central North America. When the U.S.bought the Louisiana Purchase, they alsoreceived New Orleans. During the War of 1812the British tried to get control of New Orleans,but Gen. Andrew Jackson lead a great victoryover the British near the city in a battle whichmade sure that New Orleans would stay inAmerican hands.

Not too long after this, the United States forcedthe Indians out of their native lands as far awayas the east coast to follow the Trail of Tears tothe Indian Territory, which was made up ofmuch of the state of Oklahoma. To this day,many Native Americans still live in this area.

West South Central States

the help of irrigation. Wheat fields cover manyacres of northern Texas and western Oklahoma.

Industry

Oil and natural gas companies in the West SouthCentral States bring much needed money intothe economies of the states. Oil and naturalgas are needed in the United States because theyprovide fuel to run our cars and to heat ourhomes. Especially for these reasons, people arewilling to pay for this necessary energy. TheU.S. government is concerned that we are buyingtoo much energy from other countries, and thatwe should find ways to get energy from our owncountry. Much of our oil supply is under theGulf of Mexico, so companies have builtthousands of oil platforms out in the water inorder to pump the oil and natural gas to thesurface. But these towers can cause problems.An example is the pollution caused by theexplosion in the Gulf on a platform called theDeepwater Horizon. In April 2010, the platformexploded, and for months millions of gallons ofoil flooded into the Gulf of Mexico. As we

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Shrimp boats pull stripswhich are designed tocollect oil. These boats,stationed in Louisiana,helped in the cleanup ofthe Deepwater Horizon oilspill of 2010.

West South Central States

Much of Texas became part of the United Statesafter the War with Mexico, fought from 1846 to1848. The two countries fought because manyAmerican settlers at this time had moved intoTexas, land which belonged to Mexico. Thefamous battle of this war was the Battle of theAlamo, where many Texans and other Americansdied, including Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie.

Texans also fought in the Civil War from 1861to 1865, joining Arkansas and Louisiana as partof the Confederate States of America. Afterthe war, all these states returned to the UnitedStates, and began the hard work of rebuilding.Louisiana was hurt by the war like the otherstates, but in addition to this, the newtranscontinental railway built in 1869 causedmany settlers to go west through the state ratherthan coming by ship to settle in New Orleans asthey had in the past.

Some of the new settlers came to the IndianTerritory in 1889 after the United States openedthe land for settlement. The event was calledthe great Oklahoma Land Rush because everyonehad to wait until April 22, 1889. On that day,settlers rushed to the land which they could havefree if they filed a claim for the land and farmedit for five years.

Farmers worked the land of the West SouthCentral States for many years until a severedrought hit the area in the 1930s, especiallyOklahoma. It became known as the Dust Bowl,and after this, many people left the region whilethe farmers that remained learned valuable

lessons. From then on, they were sure to plantcrops that would enrich the soil. Second, theylearned to plant crops that held down the soiland prevented erosion. To this day many farmersstill use farming techniques learned from theseyears.

Arkansas - The Natural State

Introduction

Arkansas is named after the Quapaw (kwaw-paw) Indians who inhabited the state whenFrench explorers came to the area. Historianstell us that they were part of an ancient culturecalled the Mississippian Culture, whichthrived there already in 700 A.D. Mounds fromearly cities can still be found in the state. Earlymaps from De Soto, Marquette, and La Salle allhave different spellings for “Arkansas”, but thename simply means “south wind” in Algonquin(tribe of Indians from Ohio). In 1881, the state

The Alamo is a famous historicsite near San Antonio.

This piece of pottery,formed between 1400 and1600 A.D., was found atRose Mound in Arkansas.

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Land

Arkansas is officially called the “Natural State”because of the beauty of the forestedmountains, rivers, and hills. In the west, touristscan hike up to high points of land to view thecountryside, or they can see the deep rivervalleys of the Ozark Plateau in the northwestpart of the state. Caves found there are alsoimportant tourist attractions.

To the south of the Ozark Plateau is theArkansas River which flows through the stateinto the Mississippi River. Farther south of the

officially declared that Arkansas is pronounced“AR ken saw”.

De Soto visited the state in search for gold, anddied of a fever in Arkansas in 1542. Eventhough the great explorer died there withoutfinding much gold, he is known for being thefirst European explorer in the area. Marquette,Joliet, and later La Salle, also came down theMississippi to Arkansas, and after their visitsthe land came under the control of France. Onemember of La Salle’s party, an Italian namedHenri de Tonti, set up a trading post in the 1680sat a place called Arkansas Post, near the spotwhere the Arkansas and Mississippi Rivers meet.He is often called the “Father of Arkansas.”

About one hundred years later, Arkansas becamepart of the United States through the LouisianaPurchase of 1803. American settlers then beganto move into Arkansas and it became a slavestate in 1836. Six months later, in 1837,Michigan was admitted to the union as a freestate to keep the balance of free and slave states.During the Civil War, Arkansas decided to jointhe Confederacy. The most important battlefought in Arkansas was a Union victory at PeaRidge (March 1862). This battle was importantbecause it kept Missouri under the control ofthe northern states.

Even though the Civil War ended slavery,southern states such as Arkansas continued tomistreat African-Americans. Up until the 1960s,schools still had rules that no blacks could attendwith the white students. During this time, civilrights leaders believed that African-Americansshould be able to go to the best schools alongwith white students. A famous group of nineblack students, protected by United Statestroops, finally entered an all-white school inLittle Rock, the capital city.

Reformed Worldview Perspective:Today, we take it for granted that blackand white people can go to the sameschool. We learn from the Bible thatGod’s people are from all nations.Discuss how you would welcome intoyour school a fellow Christian of anotherrace.

A group of African-American students areescorted to school by U.S.troops.

the Mississippi Delta which we studied in thelast chapter.

Farming

The lowland along the Mississippi has many ricefarms, making Arkansas the number one rice-producing state in the United States. Rice plants,which look like grass, need much water in orderto grow, and the lowland along the MississippiRiver provides it. After the rice is planted bymachine or by airplane, farmers use levees (orbanks of earth) to flood the rice field at differenttimes to be sure that the ground remains wet.During the growing season, airplanes often fly

West South Central States

river are the Ouachita (WASH ih taw)Mountains, a region well-known for the HotSprings National Park and many other mineralsprings. The Crater of Diamonds State Park,one of the few places where you can hunt fordiamonds and keep them, is also in this area.

The West Gulf Coastal Plain, located insoutheastern Arkansas, is forested land that is asource of oil and natural gas. In the southwestcorner, the Red River winds through the state.

The eastern part of Arkansas is lowland alongthe Mississippi River. The flat land there hasmany swamps and bayous. This area is part of

Hot Springs National Park

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West South Central States

over to apply fertilizer. About two weeks beforeharvest, the farmer opens the gate to let thewater out of the field. The land dries up enoughso that a combine can harvest the rice from thetop of the rice plant.

The land of Arkansas is so forested andmountainous that only half of the land is used166

for farming. In addition to rice, cotton andsoybeans are also grown. Cotton used to be themost important crop of Arkansas, but in the last50 years rice has become more important.Broilers, chickens, and turkeys are also animportant part of the agriculture of Arkansas.

Rice plants in easternArkansas

Stores, which began in 1962 with a small storein Bentonville. The huge retail store chain grewrapidly, mainly because it offers products atcheaper prices.

While the economy of northwest Arkansas isgrowing, it still ranks 48th in per capita income,especially because in some rural areas ofArkansas people are very poor. Yet, many peoplebelieve that Arkansas is ready to grow inbusiness in the near future. The state has anabundance of forests and natural resources,companies that pump oil and natural gas, andArkansas is the number one producer ofbauxite, a mineral that is used to makealuminum.

West South Central States

Industry

The meat that comes from the broiler farms ofArkansas and other southern states often goesto food processing plants that are owned byTyson Foods. Tyson Foods has its headquartersin northwest Arkansas. They provide chicken,beef, and other meat to major companies suchas Mc Donalds. Because of this, Tyson hasgrown to be a large food preparation companywith many food processing plants in the UnitedStates and the rest of the world.

Besides Tyson Foods, northwestern Arkansas isalso home to the headquarters of Wal-Mart

A barge is loaded near the Mississippi River inArkansas. The river is important for the state'seconomy.

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New Orleans has always been, and still is, animportant city in North America because of itslocation at the mouth of the Mississippi River,and therefore it is a busy port for shipping. Eventhough much of the land is below sea level andmust be protected by levees and sea walls, manypeople lived there before 2005. In August ofthat year, Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleansand the surrounding area. Before the stormcame, the government warned people to get outof the city, but the poor didn’t have the meansto get out. When the hurricane winds came, thecity was devastated, but the real destructioncame because of the massive flooding of thecity. The hurricane had pushed a large amountof water toward the land in what we call astorm surge. The sea walls around the citybroke, water came flooding into most of the city,and many people were trapped on the roofs oftheir homes. Even though the army came to help,nobody really knew who was in charge, andmany people waited for days for help to arrive.Many African-American people were angrybecause they felt that racism was the reason forthe delay, and rioting was a real threat in ourcountry. Riots occur when people get togetherto wreck property and hurt people just becausethey are angry about something.

West South Central States

Louisiana - The Pelican State

Introduction

Similar to other states in the region, Louisianawas a French territory for many years after theearly explorers came. La Salle claimed for Francemuch of the land that we know as Louisiana,but the settlement that La Salle establishedeventually failed. The settlement that becameNew Orleans was founded in 1718 by a Frenchexplorer named Simon Le Moyne. He built thecity on high land between the Mississippi Riverand Lake Pontchartrain, and used levees toprotect the city from floods.

After 1763, Louisiana came under Spanish rule.About this time, many French people came toLouisiana from an area called Acadia in Canadanear the state of Maine. They left the areabecause the English government was in controlof Canada at the time. The French people thatmoved to Louisiana are called the Cajun people.At that time Louisiana had many differentnationalities of people living there, such asSpanish, French, and in later years, English. Onetradition that has been celebrated in NewOrleans for many years is Mardi Gras, a Frenchfestival held each year just before Lent begins.

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Reformed Worldview Perspective: Theidea of Mardi Gras is to party and reveljust before Lent, which is supposed tobe a time of prayer and fasting beforeEaster. While it is not wrong to have a“fun time” on this earth, the action ofmany people at Mardi Gras is verywicked, and the people, who often aredrunk, can sometimes do very wickedthings. The Bible calls this kind ofactivity “revelling.” Read Galatians 5:1and discuss how a Christian should viewMardi Gras.

A Blackhawk helicopterattempts to fill in one of thesea walls in New Orleansafter Hurricane Katrina.

“Spanish Moss” hanging from them, like thetrees in Mississippi.

Louisiana has no mountains, but there are plainsthat rise to 300 feet above sea level. In thenortheastern part of the state along theMississippi River, the East Gulf Coastal Plainis full of forests and hills. Some of the rivershave bluffs, places on the river with a steepbank. The West Gulf Coastal Plain is on thenorthwestern side of the state. Here the RedRiver cuts its way through this plain and flowssoutheast toward the Mississippi River.

Farming

Forestry provides much of the income forfarmers in Louisiana. Forestry is a type ofagriculture because farmers plant trees with thepurpose of harvesting them later on. Farmersin Louisiana plant over one million pine andhardwood seedlings each year! Forests inLouisiana cover almost one-half of the state,with most of them located in the center. Eventhough forests are considered agriculture, theforest industry provides many industrial jobs forpeople who work in sawmills, paper mills, andcabinet factories.

As in Arkansas, rice is a big crop in Louisianabecause the land is well watered. Another cropthat needs much water is sugarcane, an importantcrop grown in the delta of Louisiana. Today,the farmer cuts a small stalk from a bigger plantand puts it in the ground. The small “cutting”grows into a large, stout plant. At harvest, thesugarcane is cut down and the sugar is takenfrom the stalk at the mill. The end result of therefining process at the mill is a tasty sugar. Cottonis a cash crop grown mostly in northernLouisiana. Farmers throughout the state raisecattle, hogs, and sheep, and grow corn andsoybeans.

West South Central States

Land

Louisiana has much low land because the stateis at or below sea level where the Mississippiflows into the Gulf. Along the river and at theend of the river are lowlands called theMississippi Alluvial Plain and Delta. Youremember that an alluvial plain is similar to adelta because it also is an area where a riverdrops dirt as the flow slows down, forming richfarmland with fertile soil. The land has manyswamps, wetlands, and bayous where wildlifecan live. A bayou is a slow moving creek orriver that branches off a larger river. Fishermencatch shrimp and other seafood in the bayousof Louisiana. Many trees in the area have

Reformed Worldview Perspective:Hurricane Katrina reminded Americansthat we can lose everything in a momenteven in America. We are used to easeand riches in our country, and when wesee people who lose everything, we stopand take note. We as Christians believethat God sends hurricanes upon Hispeople as well as the wicked. The Devilis not in control of these storms. Discussthe right way that Christians can helpthose who are in need as a result of astorm.

Spanish Moss hangingfrom trees

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Industry

If you include all of the oil platforms off thecoast of Louisiana, the state produces the mostoil of any state in the U.S. An oil platform is ahuge platform that either floats on the surfaceor is fastened to the sea floor by huge pillars. Ahuge derrick on the platform pumps oil fromunder the sea floor. Often these oil platformslook like small cities. Huge oil tankers dockagainst the platforms and take in oil which isused to fuel our cars and heat our homes. Whilesome think that these platforms belong to nostate, they certainly benefit the economy ofLouisiana in many ways. The natural gaspumped by these platforms provides anotherimportant resource to the state.

While most of the country was in a recession,Louisiana was doing well in 2010 because ofthe many construction projects in Baton Rouge(population 229,553), the capital, and in NewOrleans (population 343,829). New Orleans’population was greatly reduced because of thehurricane. Yet, the city now has manyconstruction projects and remains an importantseaport. Some government officials havequestioned whether it is wise to rebuild on suchlow land, but other people say that the sea walls

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are stronger than ever before and will provideneeded protection.

The seafood industry is important to Louisiana,especially the harvesting and sale of shrimp,oysters, crabs and craw fish. Many other fishare also caught in the Gulf of Mexico. An oilspill in the Gulf of Mexico is a major threat tothe industry. Shipbuilding is big business inLouisiana, and about fifteen percent of shipsbuilt in the U.S. are from there. Companies suchas Northrop Grumman build various types ofships for the U.S. Navy. In past years, a factoryin New Orleans built the fuel tank for the spaceshuttle, but since the shuttle has been retired,many jobs have been lost.

Another way the state has tried to improve theeconomy is by building casinos. One exampleof this is in Shreveport (population 199,311),the third largest city in the state, where thewaterfront on the Red River is lit up all nightfrom these businesses. We have discussed theevil of gambling in earlier chapters.

A newly made navy shipcalled the "New Orleans"sails in front of the city forwhich it is named.Louisiana shipyards builtthe ship.

An off-shore oil pump nearLouisiana

West South Central States

Oklahoma - The Sooner State

Introduction

Oklahoma is called the Sooner State becausethe land was settled in a rush. The governmentpromised free land in 1889 and later, but thenew landowners had to wait at the border ofthe state so that everyone had a fair chance tosettle the land. Then, at a certain time, thegovernment would sound the opening of theland with the loud boom of a cannon, and thegreat Oklahoma Land Rush began. During thistime, whole tent cities of 10,000 people or moresprang up over night. Some people persuadedthe government to let them on the land early.These people were called “sooners” becausethey went to gain their land sooner than anyoneelse.

The settlers of the Oklahoma Land Rush entereda land that had been inhabited by NativeAmericans. The state was part of the LouisianaPurchase, so before it became a part of the U.S.it was ruled by either Spain or France for manyyears. After the U.S. gained the land in 1803, itbecame the place where the government placedthe Indians moved from other parts of thecountry. Remember that in the 1830s, manyIndians came on the Trail of Tears to Oklahoma,and the U.S. Government even called Oklahoma"Indian Territory". Today, Oklahoma is a centerfor learning about Indian cultures.

The settlers that came in the rush worked hardto till the land and grow crops. However, thefarmers overworked the land, not giving it timeto renew its richness. After a drought in the1930s, the terrible years of the Dust Bowl cameto Oklahoma.

During the late 1800s and the 1900s, Oklahomabecame a valuable oil state. Oil companies dugmany wells and began pumping the “black gold”,a name which shows how valuable the productwas and still is.

Land

Most of Oklahoma is plains country, but thereare some low mountains on the eastern side ofthe state on the border with Arkansas. Theseare the mountains of the Ozark Plateau and theOuachita Mountains. This region has manyrolling hills, streams, and rivers. The ArkansasRiver flows eastward through northeasternOklahoma, and on the southern border withTexas, the Red River runs through the rich landof the Red River valley.

The central part of Oklahoma is made up ofplains that continue to rise in elevation as youtravel west. Many rivers flow eastward fromthe high country into the Arkansas and RedRivers. In the far west is the land of the HighPlains, a very dry area that is dotted with buttesand mesas. This strip of land is called thePanhandle, because the state looks like a deeppan or pot that you would put on a stove. Southof Oklahoma is Texas, to the west is NewMexico, and to the north are Kansas and a smallpart of Colorado.

A man and a boy walkthrough a dust storm inwestern Oklahoma duringthe Dust Bowl.

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Farming

The central and western plains of Oklahomaare filled with wheat, making the state the fifthleading producer of the crop. Winter wheat isharvested in early summer and used to makebreads and pasta. Hay is grown in many partsof the state and is used to feed the cattle herds.Oklahoma ranks fifth in the United States whenyou consider how much money is gained throughthe sale of the meat. Farmers in the state alsogrow cotton and raise peanuts and pecans.

The state of Oklahoma receives less rain in thewest than in the east, but it also often receivessevere weather. Many strong thunderstormslight up the sky on spring and summer days andnights. Oklahoma is right in the middle ofTornado Alley, meaning it often receives anumber of strong tornadoes, whirling stormsthat can destroy an entire town in a short periodof time.

Industry

The farms of Oklahoma are important to thestate’s economy, but oil has been valuable for along time. The capital, Oklahoma City, andTulsa are centers for large oil companies. In fact,for most of the 20th Century, Tulsa had thenickname, “Oil Capital of the World”. Whileoil production has gone down in recent years,there are many active oil fields throughout thestate. Some are even on the capitol grounds inOklahoma City!

Oklahoma City (population 579,999), locatedin the center of the state, is the largest city inOklahoma. The city is growing in populationbecause it has many business opportunities.While most of the country has been in arecession, Oklahoma City is doing well becauseit not only has the oil companies, but alsogrowing health care businesses. The city was inthe news in 1995 when a man named TimothyMc Veigh parked a large truck full of explosives172

in front of the Murrah Federal building. Theblast that resulted killed 168 people and muchof the building was destroyed. This was theworst terrorist disaster in the United Statesbefore the September 11, 2001 bombing in NewYork City.

Tulsa (population 391,906), located in thenortheastern corner of Oklahoma, is the secondlargest city in Oklahoma. It is known as thebirthplace of U.S. Route 66, a famous highwaythat goes all the way from Illinois to Los Angeles.

Oklahoma capitol with anoil derrick nearby

The Oklahoma City NationalMemorial remembers the bombingthat occurred in 1995 at the MurrahFederal Building.

Texas - The Lone Star State

Introduction

The state of Texas has an interesting historybecause six different nations have ruled the land,Spain, France, Mexico, the Republic of Texas,the Confederate States of America, and theUnited States. The name “Texas” means“friend”, and comes from the language of thenative Caddo tribes who used the word “Tejas”to mean friends or allies. The Spanish picked upon this word so much that “Texas” became thename for the land. Even though many nationshave ruled the state, the people have always hadan independent spirit. At one point, the statewas a nation all by itself, and even today thestate is called the Lone Star State because ofthe one star on its flag.

European exploration of Texas first began withthe Spanish, who were in search of gold.However, the Spanish explorer Coronado(CORE uh NAH doh) didn’t find gold in hisexpedition from 1540 to 1542. As a result, Spainlost interest in Texas until the French, led by LaSalle, began starting settlements near the Gulfof Mexico. After La Salle died in Texas in 1687,these French settlements did not last.

At about the same time as the French settled inTexas, Spain began building mission churchesnear what is now El Paso. While this missionfailed, later missions built in the 1700s such asthe one in San Antonio succeeded. We knowthis mission today as the Alamo.

The Alamo is a meaningful building to Texansbecause there was a great battle there in 1836when Texas fought Mexico to gain itsindependence. In the early 1800s, manyAmericans, encouraged by Stephen Austin, hadbegun settling in Texas. As time went by, these

West South Central States

Texans did not like being ruled by Mexico andtheir leader, Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna. Theresult was the war began between Texas andMexico through which eventually Texas gainedits independence. A rallying cry of the Texansduring the rest of the war was, “Remember theAlamo,” because they wanted to remember themen who were killed by the Mexican army there.An important leader in this war was SamHouston, a man who first became president ofindependent Texas, and later governor andsenator for the state.

Soon after Texas became its own country, theUnited States fought the Mexican-American War.In 1847 the American army gained a crushingvictory when they sailed across the Gulf ofMexico, attacked Mexico City, and defeated it.The result was that the United States officiallygained much of today’s American Southwest,including Texas. Many leaders in this war laterused their battle experience in the Civil War, awar in which Texas was part of the SouthernStates.

Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna wasa famous president and general inMexico. The United Statesdefeated his army in the Mexican-American War.

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Land

We began the West South Central States with asection on cowboys that roamed Texas in thelate 1800s. What kind of land did they see asthey rode their horses alongside their herds ofcattle? They probably saw wide varieties of landforms, even though most of the land they sawwas plains. The plains of Texas begin in thesoutheast as the Gulf Coastal Plain. This areareceives much rain as moisture blows in fromthe Gulf of Mexico. Just like Louisiana, thereare marshes and bayous with some forests.Farther inland are the Interior Lowlands, a landthat has forests and farms.

The Balcones Fault, west of Austin and Waco,runs north through the state from Mexico anddivides the wet part of the state near the coastfrom the dry Great Plains in the west. Thefamous artist, Georgia O’Keefe, painted this dryland with its beautiful cacti (more than onecactus) and mesquite trees. The northern partis called the Texas Panhandle, an open region

with short grasses. This area is subject todroughts, and the Dust Bowl of the 1930s alsohit here.

The Great Plains in western Texas have dry areaswith mesas and buttes, as does the land to thewest of the Pecos River. This area hasmountains and valleys that have little plant life,and parts of the area are desert.

From the west to the east, a number of majorrivers flow through or next to Texas. Formingthe northern border with Oklahoma is the RedRiver flowing into Arkansas and throughLouisiana to the Gulf of Mexico. The Trinity,Brazos (BRAH zohs), and Colorado River (ofTexas) flow southeast through the state,emptying into the Gulf. The most importantriver is the Rio Grande (REE oh GRAND) Riverwhich forms the border to the south withMexico. Parts of the Rio Grande, near Big BendNational Park in southwest Texas, flow throughbeautiful canyons. Almost all of the borders ofTexas are formed by water! Other states nearbyare Louisiana and Arkansas to the east and NewMexico to the west.

Reformed Worldview Perspective: Manypeople have forgotten the Mexican-American War, but the people of Mexicohave not forgotten. While today ourcountries are at peace, Mexicans don’tlike it that the border between ourcountries is a guarded border. Becausethe U.S. has good jobs available, Mexicanpeople often try to illegally cross theborder into the United States and evenattempt to live in our country. Today,many people in our country disagreeabout whether illegal immigrants canstay in the United States. An illegalimmigrant is a person who comes intoanother country without officialpermission. Our country has alwayswelcomed immigrants, including manyof our ancestors years ago. Discusswhat should be done with illegalimmigrants.

The Rio Grande at BigBend National Park

Farms

Texas is known for its breed of cattle calledlonghorns, although many other types of cattleare raised here. The cattle industry is bigbusiness in Texas and billions of dollars comeinto the state through their sale. Since the cattledrives of the late 1880s and before, cattle haveroamed the plains. Today, there aren’t as manyhuge ranches as there used to be. Rather, smallranches and farms raise the cattle, and then sellthem to feed lots. Ranchers in Texas also raiseother livestock such as sheep and lambs,especially in the western drier part of the state.Wool sheared from the sheep is used in theclothing industry. Another product of Texas ismohair, a silky fabric made from the long hairof angora goats. Finally, the state also has broilerfarms similar to other southern states.

Cotton raised in the dry areas of western Texasis also used in the clothing industry. Wells areused to pump water from deep beneath thesurface, and this water is used to irrigate thecrop. Texas grows an abundance of wheat andcorn, much like other Plains States. While someof the wheat and corn harvest is used in thefood industry, the rest is used to feed cattle.

In the southeastern part of Texas are orchardswhere grapefruit, oranges, and melons are

West South Central States

grown. As you can see, Texas has a wide varietyof crops because there are so many differenttypes of land and climate areas.

Industry

The state of Texas has as large an economy asmany countries in the world! It has manybusinesses which are involved in the globaleconomy (companies which have world-widetrade), and the state leads the nation in exportsof manufactured goods. One reason for this isthe proximity (how close it is) of Texas toMexico. Mexico has many workers who will laborfor very little pay compared to Americans.Because of this, small factories calledmaquiladoras (muh-kee-luh-DOR-ah) makeparts and products for American factories.Before 1994, anything made in Mexico wassubject to a tariff, a tax that is charged for anyproduct that comes into the USA. After 1994,the U.S., Mexico, and other nations signed anagreement called the North American FreeTrade Agreement (NAFTA). This law statedthat no tax would be charged for goods that comefrom Mexico to the United States. Since NAFTAwent into effect, many American companieshave built factories just across the border.

Modules full of harvestedcotton in West Texas

Caprock Canyon in northcentral Texas is one of thewide variety of landformsin Texas.

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Texas is all about being big. They are the secondlargest state in land area and the second largeststate in population with almost 25 millionpeople. Texas has many very large cities, so wewill only mention the ones that are the largest.Houston (population 2,099,451) is one of thelargest cities in the country. This city, on theshore of the Gulf of Mexico, is the mostvaluable port in the United States. In additionto having many other important industries,Houston is a center for chemical and researchcompanies. The city has an ongoing role in thegovernment’s space program, although in recent

West South Central States

years the government has downplayed the spaceprogram. The NASA-Johnson Space Center islocated southeast of Houston.

The second largest city in Texas, Dallas(population 1,197,816), along with its twin city,Fort Worth (population 741,206), are part of amajor metropolitan area in north Texas. Dallasis home to financial businesses and technologycompanies such as Texas Instruments. Formany years, Dallas was a center of the oilindustry. Today, its largest corporation is AT &T, a large phone company. Fort Worth is alsogrowing and is a center for airlines such asAmerican Airlines.

San Antonio (population 1,327,407) is locatedin central Texas and is the home of the Alamo.Visiting this historic building as well as strollingalong the beautiful River Walk are interestingtourist activities. Energy and communicationcompanies are located there. In the center ofthe state is the capital, Austin (population790,390), which is named after the famousTexan, Stephen Austin.

Finally, in the far west is the border city of ElPaso (population 649,121). It is an importantgateway between the United States and Mexico.An important military base called Fort Bliss, usedfor missile and artillery training, is located here.An interesting fact is that mountains extenddown into El Paso from the north and nearlycut the city in half.

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Reformed Worldview Perspective: Manypeople don’t like NAFTA because theycomplain that since NAFTA was passedour companies have continued to losejobs to Mexico. However, Americansworkers demand a higher wage thanmost Mexicans do. Factory owners, ofcourse, want to make money, so theybuild in Mexico where they can paylower wages. American people get veryangry when factories leave the U.S., andsay that the companies are not loyal tothe United States. We know fromScripture that God raises up nations andbrings down nations at His will. Discussin class how the loss of American jobsto foreign countries is also according toGod’s will, and what God might beteaching us through this.

Dallas is one of Texas'many large cities.

Houston, Texas is thelargest city in the state.

Introduction

A visit to the mountain states is a wonderfulexperience, for God’s creative hand is on displayin the beautiful snow-capped mountains and thedeep canyons found there. Our country haspreserved a number of these beautiful places innational parks such as Yellowstone and GrandCanyon National Parks.

Land

All of the mountain states have some mountainswith high elevations. The main range ofmountains is the large Rocky Mountain range

known as “the Rockies”, which runs north andsouth through most of the eight states that wewill study. In the north, the Rockies cross Idahoand western Montana. The range then continuesthrough Wyoming, Utah, and Colorado whichare in the center of the Mountain States Region.Finally, in the south, New Mexico has some ofthe Rocky Mountain range in the northern partof the state. Arizona and Nevada, located inthe southwestern part of the Mountain States,have other mountain ranges which we will learnabout later.

The Rocky Mountains differ from theAppalachian Mountains mainly because they aremuch higher and more rugged. Many Rocky

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The Colorado River flows through the Grand Canyon in Arizona.

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maps.com

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Population Map ofthe Mountain States

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Arizona - AZColorado - COIdaho - IDMontana - MTNevada - NVNew Mexico - NMUtah - UTWyoming - WY

Mountain States

Mountain peaks, especially in Colorado, measureover 14,000 feet, while the highest point in theAppalachians doesn’t even reach 7,000 feet.Furthermore, while the Appalachians are mostlytree-covered, many peaks in the Rockies haveno trees above the tree line (elevation abovewhich trees cannot grow).

Basins are also an important landform of theMountain States. A basin is a lower area in themountains that is almost entirely surrounded byhigher land. The largest basin in this area is theGreat Basin, found in Nevada and Utah. Tothe west of the Great Basin are the rugged peaksof the Sierra Nevada Range. To the east are theRocky Mountains and the Wasatch Range inUtah. However, don’t get the idea that the entireland area of the Great Basin is lower than themountains, for inside the basin are rows of highmountains and their valleys.

Many large American rivers have their source inthe Rocky Mountains. The headwaters (a placewhere a river starts) of the mighty Missouri Riveris in Montana. The Platte River is formed bytwo rivers, the North Platte that starts inWyoming, and the South Platte, which beginsin Colorado. They join into one in Nebraska.The Rocky Mountains of central Colorado arethe source of the Rio Grande River which flowssouth through New Mexico and finally formsthe entire southern border of Texas. Coursingand winding through deep canyons, the ColoradoRiver begins in Rocky Mountain National Parkin Colorado and continues through Utah andArizona, before finally emptying into the Gulfof California in Mexico. The Colorado isespecially beautiful in the Grand Canyon ofnorthern Arizona. Many smaller streams andrivers also start in these mountains as themassive mountain snows melt in the spring. Wemay wonder how a mighty river such as the RioGrande can exist in a dry place like New Mexico.It is because the river that flows through NewMexico started high in the mountains and gainedits water from the melting mountain snow.

An interesting landform of the region is theContinental Divide. Rivers that start east ofthe Divide continue to flow east until they emptyinto larger rivers such as the Missouri, theArkansas, and the Mississippi Rivers whicheventually flow into the Gulf of Mexico. Riversthat begin west of the Divide flow either intothe Pacific Ocean on the west coast or they endup in a basin area. Normally when a river flows,it finally ends up in a body of water. TheMountain States have many dry areas whererivers that end up in a pool or lake at the bottomof a basin simply dry up. This landform is calleda sink as the water dries up or sinks into theground because there is no place for the waterto flow. Many places in an area such as Utahhave huge places that used to be lakes and arenow dried up. The land of the dry lake bottomsoften contains many important minerals.

Deserts are also an important part of themountain states. You remember that a desert isdry land where there is little plant growth. Largedeserts are found in all of this region’s statesexcept Montana and Colorado, although somewould argue that areas in all of the MountainStates have deserts. The deserts include the

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Colorado River in Utah

Climate

The high elevation and the absence of largebodies of water affect the climate of the region.In the summer, one can bask in 80 degreewarmth on the plains in eastern Colorado, andthen take a train to the top of Pike’s Peak in theRocky Mountains and see snow! Snow remainsin the mountains for many months of the year,long after winter is gone. Because there are fewvery large bodies of water in the region, thetemperature can vary widely in the MountainStates. As we learned earlier, a large body ofwater helps to keep temperatures lower in thesummer and warmer in the winter.

The Mountain States have a steppe climate inmost of the region except where the mountain

Great Salt Lake Desert in Utah, the Great Basinof Nevada and Utah, the Sonoran Desert insouthern Arizona, and the Chihuahuan (ChiWAH wahn) Desert in New Mexico.

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Mountain States

Reformed Worldview Perspective: Godcreated beautiful plants that are able togrow in these dry areas because theycan conserve water. An example is thesaguaro cactus, found mostly in Arizona,which grows very slowly and gets an“arm” after many years. We do notbelieve that evolution caused theseplants to develop this ability, but thatGod created these plants to be able tolive in the deserts.

Saguaro Cacti in Arizona

and desert areas are found. These steppe areasare semi-desert, which means that they are dry,but they do have some plant growth. Theseareas, found mostly in the south and southwest,can be very cold in winter and very hot in thesummer. They can receive less than 10 inchesof rain per year and often have temperatureswell above 100 degrees during the day in thesummer. Sometimes when huge thunderstormsdrench a desert area, dry river beds calledarroyos become filled with water in a short time,causing flash floods to occur. Then, the samearea may not see rain for a very long time.

Economy

Farming

Raising crops in the Mountain States is difficultbecause the climate is often too dry or too cool,resulting in a short growing season. In additionto this, the soil is often not fertile and thelandforms are often too rugged for plantingcrops. Certain crops do grow well in some areas,such as potatoes in Idaho and wheat and hay inthe Great Plains of Montana and Colorado.

Where crops do not grow well, much of theregion relies on livestock farming for bigbusiness. There are many large ranches in theMountain States that raise cattle and sheep.These animals roam in vast areas that are oftenowned by the U.S. government.

Industry

Mining is a very important industry in many ofthe Mountain States. For example, the state ofWyoming leads the nation in coal mining. ThePowder River Basin in Montana and Wyomingsupplies much coal to the United States.Precious metals such as gold, silver, and copperare also mined throughout the region. TheBingham Copper Mine in Utah is a huge open-pit copper mine which provides copper for coins,

pipes, and wires. But it is getting more difficultto do mining in modern times. As of 2006, whilethere were many mines in Nevada, there wereonly three gold mines left in Colorado, and twoleft in Idaho.

Many citizens and government officials areconcerned that open-pit mines hurt theenvironment and are working to limit or stopthem. Furthermore, much of the MountainStates land is owned by the U.S. government andcontrolled by the U.S. Forest Service and othergovernment agencies. Right now, miningcompanies can mine the land without paying thegovernment because of laws that were passedmany years ago. However, since the miningcompany’s claim to the U.S. owned land has tobe given to them by the government,environmental concerns will either make it moredifficult to lease the land for mining or will raisethe cost of the mining operation.

History

Already in the 1500s, many years before theBritish settled on the east coast of NorthAmerica, the Spanish explored the SouthwestUnited States with dreams of finding gold andother treasures. Along with the treasure seekersand the conquistadors (Spanish leaders who triedto conquer and claim land for Spain) camemissionaries who worked to convert the nativepeople to Roman Catholicism. Some of the maintribes they met were the Hopi, people descendedfrom the Pueblo tribes, and the Apache andNavajo tribes who migrated to the area after thePueblo tribes had settled there. All of thesetribes had learned how to survive and live inthe desert. Today, you can visit Pueblo homesin places such as Taos, New Mexico and thecliff dwellings of Mesa Verde in southwesternColorado. Other important tribes in theMountain States were the Utes and the Paiutesin the central part of the region, as well as theShoshone, the Blackfeet, and the Cheyenne(SHY anne) in the north. 183

Mountain States

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Mountain States

Because they had read the accounts of Lewisand Clark and other explorers, many mountainmen, trappers, and miners came to this land fromthe eastern United States and from Europe. Thestories of these people are truly fascinating. Youcan read the accounts of mountain men such asKit Carson, a man who learned many Indianlanguages and even served as guide for importantexplorers such as John C. Fremont. Most ofthese mountain men came to trap beaver for thefur which was used for making men’s hats, whileother early adventurers searched for gold andsilver. Some struck it rich, but many losteverything they had. Since most of theMountains States didn’t gain statehood until thelate 1800s and early 1900s, lawlessness

In the last chapter we met Lewis and Clark andwe learned about their journey up the MissouriRiver. While they had some trouble with nativepeople such as the Sioux, their problems in theMountain States were far worse, becausestanding in front of them were the majesticRocky Mountains. At first, they felt that theycould merely go over the mountains and find astream or river that would take them to thePacific. But they were mistaken. They crossedthe beautiful Lemhi Pass in the Bitterroot Rangeof modern Montana only to see mountains asfar as the eye could see. Later, they crossed themountains along the difficult Lolo Trail with thehelp of horses that they were able to obtain fromthe Shoshone Indians.

The view from Lemhi Pass whereLewis and Clark viewed theexpanse of the Rocky Mountains

abounded. Regular citizens often had to takethe law into their own hands because there wasno government law enforcement there. Inaddition to these early adventurers, other settlerssuch as the Mormons came for religious reasons.

Idaho - The Gem State

Introduction and History

Early in the history of the settlement of thewestern states, leaders in Idaho wanted peopleto come and live in the area. They called thestate, the “Gem of the Mountains,” withoutreally even thinking about the wealth of gemsin the state. Today, we know that Idaho has awide variety of gems, valuable stones that arevery beautiful, especially when they are cut andpolished. The official state gem is the star garnet,a lovely dark red gemstone, which can be foundonly in Idaho and the country of India. Idaho isalso home to many precious metals such as gold,silver and copper.

As early miners in Idaho staked claims in themountains, many mining towns grew. However,many of these towns were abandoned as themines became depleted (no more precious metalcould be found there). Some of these townssurvived, including Lewiston (population41,592) in northwest Idaho’s panhandle (the thinarea in northern Idaho that looks like the handleto a pan). Some early settlers, especially theMormons, began cultivating and irrigating theland so that it produced abundant crops in thesouthern half.

Many of the early settlers of Idaho had landdisputes with the local Indians (arguments overwho owned the land). One notable example ofthis is the Nez Perce Conflict of 1877 (the NezPerce are also called the Nimiipuu which ispronounced NEE ME POOH). This war wascaused because Chief Joseph of the Nez Percedidn’t want his people to have to live on an

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Mountain States

Reformed Worldview Perspective: WhenChief Joseph surrendered he said thesefamous words, “Hear me, my chiefs. Iam tired; my heart is sick and sad. Fromwhere the sun now stands I will fight nomore, forever.” Many historians regardthis as one of the last Indian battles. Thisincident is sad because only 70 yearsbefore, this same tribe saved Lewis andClark’s men from sure starvation whenthe explorers came out of the BitterrootMountains. Discuss how we ought toview these battles and the United Statesgovernment treatment of the nativeIndian tribes.

Indian Reservation. But in spite of his wishes,the United States ordered that his band berelocated. Rather than move, Chief Josephdecided to flee to Canada for safety. For over1,000 miles he and his band traveled throughparts of Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming,fighting battles against the U.S. Army, until finallythey surrendered only 40 miles from Canada.

Pictured above is a meadow where Lewisand Clark camped in 1805. The meadowis located near Glade Creek in Idaho. Thescenery is similar to what Lewis and Clarksaw.

Land

As we learned from reading the stories of Lewisand Clark, much of the land in Idaho is veryrugged. Central and northern Idaho is coveredwith high mountains and dense (thick) nationalforests. The main mountain ranges are the RockyMountains and the Bitterroot Mountains. TheSalmon River in central Idaho, along with otherscenic rivers and streams, run through thesemountains, and are especially beautiful after thesnow melts. Resort towns such as Coeur D’Alene (COOR dah LANE) attract many visitorsfor skiing as well as for recreation on its beautifullake.

The Snake River curls across southern Idaho andforms part of the western border withWashington and Oregon. The valley throughwhich the Snake River flows is part of theColumbia Plateau. This relatively flat land isgreat for farming because much of the easternpart has underground water used by farmers forirrigation. This western border area is home toHells Canyon, a deep gorge on the Snake River,which is some of the most rugged land in theUnited States. Idaho also shares borders withNevada and Utah on the south, and Montanaand Wyoming to the east.186

Mountain States

Southeastern Idaho is part of the Basin andRange area which is also found in Nevada andUtah. This area in southern Idaho is amountainous area, and is much drier than mostof northern Idaho.

Farming

When people think of Idaho farming they thinkof Idaho potatoes. Next time you are at thesupermarket, see if your potatoes are fromIdaho! The Snake River Valley is perfect forgrowing this crop, because, as mentioned before,the area has underground water which can beused for irrigation of potatoes, wheat, and othercrops. One product that comes from potatoesis, of course, french fries. The man who helpedmake Idaho potatoes famous was J. R. Simplot,mainly because he developed a way to storepotatoes for long periods of time, something thatis very important, especially for large restaurantchains.

Even though much of the land is used forgrowing potatoes, dairy farms and cattle and calfraising make more money for the residents ofIdaho than potatoes do. Sheep and cattle ranches

Lake Coeur D'Alene

Montana - The Treasure State

Introduction and History

Lewis and Clark have an important place inMontana’s history. These explorers traveledacross the full length of this state on their wayto the Pacific and on their way back. As welearned earlier, their travels across the BitterrootRange were very difficult. There are manyfascinating stories of the help Sacagawea gaveto the explorers in western Montana. One ofthese stories tells how Lewis and Clark obtaineddesperately needed horses to carry their suppliesacross the mountains. The story tells us that asthey approached the mountains, Sacagaweabegan to notice more and more familiar objectsof her Shoshone homeland (she had beencaptured as a girl and brought far away). In amemorable meeting with Shoshone chiefs, sheamazingly recognized a chief called Cameahwait(cah MAY hah wait), who happened to be herbrother. After this happy meeting, Lewis andClark were allowed to purchase horses whichthey used to cross the mountains.

Montana’s history is also a history of mining. Inorder to begin mining, men would “stake aclaim” to a piece of property on the land or to aspot in a stream bed. The men jealously guarded

are found in the Snake River Valley in southernIdaho.

Industry

Mining is the oldest industry in the state, andtoday there are still mines in central and north-central Idaho. However, lest you think that goldmining is everywhere in the state today, thereare only two mines that were active in 2006, aswe noted in the introduction. One of thesemines is in the Panhandle region and the otheris in the central part of the state. But many othermines produce other precious metals such assilver, small amounts of gold, andmolybdenum, an element which is used in theproduction of steel.

With all of the trees in Idaho, lumber and woodproducts are naturally important to the economy.Today lumber companies work hard to harvesttrees while preserving the land for futuregenerations. This is far different from earlylumber companies which would cut down largeareas of land without replanting it with newtrees.

While mining and the lumber industry areimportant to Idaho, about one quarter of thestate’s economy depends now on the electronicsindustry. Most of these electronic factories arebased in large cities such as Boise, the capital(population 205,671), and the suburbs ofMeridian (population 75,092) and Nampa(population 81,557). Idaho Falls is insoutheastern Idaho (population 56,813), hometo the Idaho National Laboratory (INL). TheINL is a laboratory which has specialized innuclear testing since the late 1940s.

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The Bitterroot Range inMontana (right)

Western Montana is the complete opposite ofthe “Big Sky” land in the east. Here we find aland of high mountains and deep river valleys.The Bitterroot Range of the Rocky Mountainsin southwestern Montana is especially rugged.The view from atop the Bitterroots isbreathtaking. One can see “purple mountains”to the west as far as the eye can see, just like thesong “America, the Beautiful” says when it refersto “purple mountain majesty above the fruitedplains”. Imagine how Lewis and Clark felt whenthey first looked across the mountains here.Today, wildlife viewing is still popular for touristswho can see moose, deer, and ruffed grouse,birds that will startle you when they take off.

Farming

Wheat farming is important in eastern Montana.In fact, the state ranks third in the nation inwheat production. Since Montana is the fourthlargest U.S. state in land area, it has vast amountsof land to grow wheat in huge amounts.Montana also raises barley, peas, lentils (whichare legumes like peas and beans that have seedsgrowing in pods). All of these crops do well inan area that has a drier climate like easternMontana. Not as much corn and soybeans canbe grown there because of too little rain.

Because of the drier climate, cattle-raising is asmarter choice for land use by farmers, althoughthe cattle need to be raised on larger land areasthan in states such as Iowa. Farmers raise sheepon the ranches in the east, while in the westernvalleys dairy cattle are raised.

Industry

Montana has few large cities. Even though thestate is very large in area, the total population isstill just under one million! Some manufacturing

a claim once they had one, and fights broke outat times over claims. One such early miningarea was Diamond City, near the present-daycapital in Helena. When miners in the 1870spanned for gold there, they often had pans worth$1,000 each! However, by 1883, all but a fewof the miners had left Diamond City becausethe gold ran out.

Early Montana became a land of cattle ranchesafter the bison (buffalo) were killed. While fewpeople lived in these ranching areas, the landthey took from the Indians for their ranchescaused fights with the Native Americans whohad lived on it for generations. Modern historianstell a story of one of the few great Indianvictories in the West, the Battle of the LittleBighorn, fought in southeastern Montana. In thisbattle, General George Armstrong Custer, whohas always has been regarded as a commanderwho bravely defended the United States, madea big mistake when he divided his small armyinto three parts and went against a huge armyof united Indian tribes, led by Crazy Horse andothers. This resulted in a huge defeat for Custer,and almost all his soldiers were massacred.

Land

The land on which Custer fought is the beautiful“Big Sky” country of eastern Montana, so calledbecause the sky seems to go on forever fromhorizon to horizon. Two important rivers floweastward across this big expanse of land. In thenorth, the Missouri River flows across the landinto North Dakota. The other river, found inthe southwestern part of the state, is theYellowstone River which flows east until it meetsthe Missouri River near the border with NorthDakota. Other states that border Montana areIdaho (west and southwest), Wyoming (south),and South Dakota (southwest).

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Wyoming - The Equality State

Introduction

When white explorers and trappers first cameto the land that is Wyoming, the native tribesliving there were mainly the Crow, the Shoshone,the Cheyenne, and the Arapaho (Ar AH pa hoe).After the explorers returned east and told theirstories, wagon trains of people came, sometraveling to states even farther west. There aremany fascinating stories that we like readingtoday about the adventures of these pioneersand the Indian battles. During this time, earlypioneers built forts to protect the fur trade, manyof which later would become military forts. Themost important of these was Fort Laramie insoutheastern Wyoming. U.S. military officialsand the Native American Indians signed someimportant treaties at this site, even though theIndians still wanted to keep what they regardedas their homeland. As more settlers moved in,the natives were forced to live on manyreservations in the western and central part ofthe United States. At about the same time, largeranches were set up where the bison used toroam before they were all killed off. TheTranscontinental Railroad was very importantto these early cattlemen because it allowed themto ship their meat to the eastern states.

Even though during the early years very fewwomen lived on the frontier, Wyoming was thefirst state where women had the right to vote.Because of this, Wyoming is called the EqualityState.

and oil refining plants are in the larger cities suchas Billings (population 104,170) and Great Falls(population 58,505), which are both in centralMontana. Missoula (population 66,788), inwestern Montana, was a lumber processingcenter for many years because the city is near tothe numerous forests in western Montana.

Mining is an industry in many parts of the state.As we stated, coal mining takes place in the west,while mining for precious metals is carried onespecially in the southwestern part of the state.While it isn’t as important to the economy as inthe past, large companies still mine for gold,silver, copper, and other precious metals. Aswe read in the introduction, the government isespecially concerned about the pollution thatthese mines, especially open-pit mines, cancause.

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Billings, Montana

Reformed Worldview Perspective: Godcalls us to be good stewards of thecreation. In southwestern Montana, ahuge former mine called Berkeley Pithas a lake at the bottom. The water isfilled with pollution that possibly couldseep into a major river flowing throughthe state. Discuss what a Christianbusiness owner must think about whensetting up a mining operation.

Montana also benefits from tourism, especiallyin parks such as Glacier National Park in thenorth. Yellowstone National Park (threeentrances to the park are in Montana), and LittleBighorn National Monument are found in thesoutheast.

Land

The Rocky Mountains and the Great Plains meetin the state of Wyoming. The Great Plains, withits grassland and few trees, is in the eastern half.As you move inland to the center of the state,the Rocky Mountains come into view. Manyrivers begin in these mountains, including theNorth Platte River, which joins the South PlatteRiver in Nebraska. The water in these riverscomes from the melting snow in the mountains.Forests thrive in the high altitudes.

The land in Wyoming is very desolate, whichmeans that not very much grows there. Onmuch of the land in the southwestern part of

the state there is only sagebrush. This is onereason why, while the state is quite large, it hasthe lowest population (563,626) of any state.

Many people enjoy visiting the amazingYellowstone and Grand Teton National Parksin northwestern Wyoming. In Yellowstone,many geysers spew out hot water from deep inthe earth. The earth’s magma is very close tothe surface in this part of the world. You mayhave heard of the most famous geyser at thepark, Old Faithful. South of Yellowstone, theGrand Tetons rise up from the plains and are anawesome view from far away. That is why theyare called the “Grand Tetons”.

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Reformed Worldview Perspective: Theworld speaks much about equality. Whatthey mean is that all people should betreated in the same way, includingwomen. However, the world today usesequality to mean that women can doeverything that a man can do, includingbeing a minister. Discuss what the Biblesays about the life of a Christian womanat home and in the church.

Reformed Worldview Perspective:Yellowstone National Park is truly abeautiful display of God’s creative hand.There are beautiful waterfalls, geysers,and pools of varying colors. The worldvainly attempts to explain thatYellowstone is a volcano that eruptedabout 600,000 years ago. Discuss whatthe Bible says about how the earth wascreated.

Old Faithful geyser inYellowstone National Park.

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Grand Teton National Park (above)Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River inYellowstone National Park (below)

Farming

Because Wyoming’s land is not fertile, very littlefarming is done except in the east and in theBighorn Basin in the northwest. Hay and barleyare grown there, both needing irrigation. Themost important agricultural product is livestock.Ranchers raise cattle and sheep on large ranches.Because plant life is scarce on the large expansesof range land, many acres are needed to feedeven a few cattle. The ranch land is owned eitherprivately or by the U.S. government.

Industry

Wyoming’s industry relies on mining and tourism.The huge coal mining area near the Powder Riverin the northeast makes Wyoming the numberone coal producing state. The state also receivesmoney from tourists who visit the national parksin the northwest. Tourists can also enjoy horsesand horseback riding, which are important eventoday to the culture of the state. Wyoming hasvery few large cities. Cheyenne, the capital, hasa population of only 59,466 people. The rodeoin Cheyenne is known worldwide as a touristattraction. Casper (population 55,316), foundin the central part of the state, is the secondlargest city.

Nevada - The Silver State

Introduction

The first Europeans to enter the land that wouldbecome Nevada were Spanish priests. Becauseof this, the state had an early Spanish influence.Later the area became part of Mexico after itbroke away from Spain in 1820. In the yearsfollowing, explorers such as Jedediah Smith,Peter Skene Ogden, and John C. Fremont visitedthe region. Fremont was known as “ThePathfinder” because he explored and surveyedmany areas of the West, including the OregonTrail. His guide was none other than Kit Carson,192

the well-known mountain man whom we havemet before.

The United States gained the land of Nevada in1850 after the war with Mexico. About this time,settlers from the east began to come to Californiaand Nevada. Hopeful miners in wagon trainscrossed the state on the way to gold fields,working them first in California, and then inNevada itself. The life of people who came inwagon trains that followed several trails throughNevada could often be very difficult in thisdesert area. One sad example of this was theDonner Party, a group bound for California in1846-1847. Many of the group died in the harshwinter of the Sierra Nevada Mountains inpresent-day California.

In 1860 and 1861, the Pony Express crossedNevada. During the short history of the PonyExpress, daring young men delivered mail acrossthe country by means of horses, with short stopsat relay stations. At the stations, the riders wouldhop off the tired horse and quickly get on a freshone that was ready to continue on the trail withthe mail. The Pony Express soon was obsoletewhen the Transcontinental Telegraph wasfinished in 1861. The telegraph could sendmessages much faster using the Morse Code (acode of dots and dashes that represented letters).In 1869, the Transcontinental Railroad wasfinished, allowing people to travel across Nevadaall the way to California.

This was also the time of booming mining towns.Many of these early mining towns were near theComstock Lode (a lode is a crack in the earthwhere precious metals are found) whichproduced vast amounts of silver and gold formany years after 1859. Carson City (population55,099), the capital of Nevada, began as a townin these years. The book Roughing It (1872) is afamous book by Mark Twain that explains therough times of miners in the late 1800s. Whatfollows is a story from the book about the timewhen Twain found fool's gold near the Humboldt

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River, and it explains the feeling of “gold fever”that so many had: “I crawled about the ground,seizing and examining bits of stone, blowing thedust from them or rubbing them on my clothes,and then peering at them with anxious hope.Presently I found a bright fragment and my heartbounded! Of all the experiences of my life, thissecret search among the hidden treasures ofsilver-land was the nearest to unmarred ecstasy.It was a delirious revel.”

Land

The land in Nevada is dry and desert-like withlarge areas that are uninhabited, meaning thatno people live there. As we learned in theintroduction, most of the land here is part ofthe Great Basin, lower land surrounded bymountain ranges. Therefore, most of Nevada’srivers flow through valleys into the center ofthe state and not out to other bodies of water.The rivers there normally flow into a low valleywhere the water just dries up in a sink. Anexample of this is the Humboldt River whichflows westward across northern Nevada until itgets to the Humboldt Sink where the waterevaporates. These rivers flow between mountainranges running in rows north and south throughthe state. Lake Tahoe is a beautiful lake foundon Nevada’s western border with California inthe beautiful and rugged Sierra NevadaMountains. Sierra means “toothed” and Nevadameans “snow-covered”. The states north ofNevada are Oregon and Idaho, and Utah andArizona are to the east.

Nevada has large areas of desert, especially inthe southern half of the state. Parts of Nevadaare so dry that they receive only four inches ofprecipitation per year. Temperatures in somedry areas can be close to 120 degrees Fahrenheit.One such place is Death Valley National Park.This desert area, shared with California, is alsothe lowest point in the United States.

Farming

Crop farming is not widespread because the landis not fertile and is too dry. However, farmersdo use irrigation to grow crops near the rivers.Especially in the western part of our country,water is a very important and precious resource.For example, the Colorado River flows along thesouthern border of Nevada. Seven states usethe water of this river for irrigation. With thatmany states using the water, it’s a wonder thatthe river doesn’t dry up! The question is, howmuch water does each state get to use? In 1963,after some arguments between the states, theUnited States Supreme Court directed how muchwater each can use. The Colorado River hasmany dams for controlling the water and itsusage, including the massive Hoover Dam,completed in 1936.

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Hoover Dam

Because there is little crop farming, Nevadainstead has large areas dedicated to cattleranching, especially in the northern part of thestate. The money gained from raising livestockis a very important part of the economy of thestate. In addition to raising cattle, Nevadafarmers in the eastern part of the state also raisesheep. Many of these ranches are ongovernment land, because the government ownsabout 85 percent of the land in Nevada.

Industry

Much of Nevada’s land use is devoted to ruggedranches, so most of the state’s residents live incities around Reno (217,003) in the west, andLas Vegas (population 566,582) in the far south.Clark County, home of Las Vegas, had 1,951,269people in 2010. The tourist industry is locatedmainly in these areas because in Nevadagambling is legal. Many Americans visit thesetwo cities for vacations.

Nevada was one of the fastest growing statesbetween 2000 and 2010 mainly becausebusinesses didn’t have to pay as many taxes asthey had to in other states. However, in recentyears many people have left Nevada because ofthe recession and loss of jobs. Fewer peopleare coming to the state for vacations becausethey can’t afford it, so workers in the tourismindustry have lost their jobs. Because many ofthe residents of Nevada can’t afford to makepayments on their homes, they are foreclosedand abandoned in great numbers.194

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Reformed Worldview Perspective: LasVegas has often been called “Sin City”by the world. The city has manygambling halls with their shining lightsthat allure people. However, even theworld notices that crime is higher inNevada. Discuss what the Bible saysabout gambling and how the sin ofgambling leads to more sin.

Las Vegas, Nevada

Finally, while we think mainly of the tourismindustry and Nevada, we can’t forget itsimportant mining industry. Through the years,workers in the state have mined a number ofimportant metals, and today Nevada is theleading gold producer in the United States. Manyof those mines are open-pit mines, which wehave discussed before. Because gold is worthso much, companies can afford to use anexpensive process called heap leaching. In thismethod of mining, heaps, or piles of dirtcontaining gold dust are placed on a pad. Thena very poisonous substance is spread over thepile to start a process that separates the goldfrom the sand and rocks.

Utah - The Beehive State

Mormons

Before Utah became a state, the main nativetribe was the Ute Indians, from which we getthe name “Utah.” Early trappers such as JimBridger and Jedediah Smith explored the area inthe 1820s. Later John C. Fremont crossed thestate several times. Using Fremont’s reports asa guide, the Mormons decided that Utah wouldbe their home.More than 60 percent of the people in Utah areMormons. This religion has had an importantpart in Utah’s history since the late 1850s whenthe Mormons first came there. What is theMormon religion? The founder (the personwho started it) of Mormonism was Joseph Smith.He claimed that an angel led him to a hill inNew York where he found gold plates that toldthe history of a Christian kingdom in the areathat now is the United States. This kingdom,according to Smith, was from a long time ago.He claimed that his Book of Mormon was“Another Testament of Jesus Christ.” In themiddle 1800s, many people began to join thereligion and formed new settlements in placessuch as Nauvoo, Illinois, on the MississippiRiver. Mormons there were persecuted for their

beliefs, and Smith himself was killed in 1844 inCarthage, Illinois. One of their teachings thatmade non-Mormons angry was that a Mormonman could have more than one wife.

Brigham Young took over as the leader of theMormons in 1846. He led the group to Utah sothat they could live in peace. They called theland “deseret” which means “honeybee”according to the Book of Mormon. The ideabehind this word is that the Mormons workedvery hard together like bees to establish asettlement in the Salt Lake area. Because theUnited States often had troubles with theMormons, it took until 1896 for Utah to becomea state. At one time before the Civil War ourcountry even sent troops into Salt Lake City.

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Reformed Worldview Perspective:Mormons call themselves the Church ofJesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.However, we must believe that it is nochurch at all because of many reasons.First, it is not a church because the Bookof Mormon claims to be “AnotherTestament of Jesus Christ.” We believethat the Bible alone is the Word of God.The Mormon religion was established onthe word of man, not the Word of God.Second, Mormonism promotes manyfalse teachings about the Trinity, andteaches that Jesus is not God at all.Discuss how we are called as Christiansto know the truth and witness to othersabout the truth.

In 1869, the Transcontinental Railroad wascompleted when important leaders pounded agolden spike into a railroad tie to join east andwest in Ogden, a city in northern Utah. Today,you can see that golden spike, not in a railroadtie, but in a museum nearby.

Land

Utah’s land has many mountains and dry areas.In the northwestern part of the state there is ahuge desert area that is part of the Great Basin.Much of the land is an old lakebed filled withsalt. Today, the large Great Salt Lake, which isfilled with salt and is used for mining, is stillthere.

East of the Great Salt Lake are the RockyMountains. Between the mountains and the lakeis a valley where many of Utah’s cities, includingSalt Lake City, are located. The Rockies havetwo main ranges in Utah, the first being the Uinta(yoo IN tah) Mountains in the northwest, andthe second the Wasatch Mountains, which rundown the center of the state.

Famous picture of the completion ofthe Transcontinental Railroad in 1869.

The southern region of Utah is an area with manybeautiful parks. In the southwest are Zion andBryce Canyon National Parks. Thousands oftourists go to these parks to see and photographthe beautiful land formations found there. Insoutheastern Utah, you can visit Arches

National Park and Canyonlands National Parkalong the Colorado River. Utah is bordered byWyoming and Idaho to the north, Nevada to thewest, Arizona to the south, and Colorado to theeast. As is true in many other states in the west,the U.S. government owns much of the land ofUtah.

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Bryce Canyon National Park (above) and ArchesNational Park (left) show the wonders of God'screation. The arch to left is called Delicate Arch.

Farming

Utah is one of the driest states in the country,so much of the farming requires irrigation.Some crops that are grown in the river valleysand around the Salt Lake City area are corn,barley, and wheat.Cattle and livestock production are far moreimportant than crop farming in Utah, wherelarge ranches are home to many cattle and sheep.

Industry

Utah is one of the fastest growing states in thecountry. Large numbers of computer andtechnology companies are located there becausecompanies believe that the workforce is well-trained and hard-working. Many of thesebusinesses are located in Salt Lake County(population 1,029,655), which has several largecities including Salt Lake City, the capital(population 186,440). Another major industrialarea is near Provo (population 112,488), southof the capital.

Mining is important to the state’s economy. Coal,copper, natural gas, and oil are all obtained fromthe land. Near Salt Lake City, the BinghamCopper Mine, also known as the KennecottCopper Mine, is one of the largest open-pit

mines in the world. The Bingham Copper Mineis two and three-quarters mile long and threequarters of a mile deep, and has produced morecopper than any mine in the world.

Tourism at the many national parks in Utahprovides jobs for the residents and income tothe state. Because many people travel throughthe state to visit these beautiful parks and placessuch as Salt Lake City, all parts of the statebenefit.

Colorado - The Centennial State

History

The name “Colorado” is a beautiful name forthis state because the word means “colored red.”The name is a fitting one because Colorado hasmany landforms with a reddish hue to them.Near Colorado Springs, tourists can visit a parkthat is called the Garden of the Gods. In thatpark, beautiful reddish rocks and cliffs testifyto God’s power alone in His glorious creation,not to the power of other gods.

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Bingham Copper Mine

Below is the Balanced Rock atGarden of the Gods.

Since the 1500s the Spanish knew of Colorado.At that time, the natives in the area were theUtes, the Pawnees, and the Comanche. Later,French trappers came to the area. Then afterthe Louisiana Purchase, the United Statesgovernment became very interested in theeastern part of Colorado and sent out the famousexplorer Zebulon Pike to check out the land.Pike began his expedition from St. Louis,Missouri, in 1807. Eventually, he came up theArkansas River and into the Rocky Mountains.He arrived at what is now known as “Pike’sPeak,” a mountain that was named by John C.Fremont in the 1840s. . Surprisingly, he had notoutfitted his men with winter clothing when heset out from St. Louis in 1807. When he and hismen attempted to climb the peak in early winter,they had to turn back before reaching the peakbecause they were not prepared for the cold andsnow. Later in his journey, Pike was capturedby the Spanish. However, he was able to recordmany facts about the southwest. While notconsidered a success at first, he later becamefamous because of his book about his journeys.

With Pike’s journals in hand, American settlersbegan to come to Colorado and other westernstates. What is interesting about Pike’s journalis that he called the Great Plains a “desert.”Little did he know that the area would becomevery important for American farmers. Minersalso came to Colorado to mine gold and silverin the Colorado mountains. Towns such asCripple Creek and Central City grew because ofthe mines. Other towns grew rapidly and wereabandoned almost as soon as they began whenthe gold and silver ran out.

As in other states, the new settlers had conflictswith the Cheyenne and the Arapaho tribes andother Indians who hunted in the area. In 1864,an American army massacred many Indians,including women and children, at what is calledthe Sand Creek Massacre. After this, theIndian tribes of Eastern Colorado agreed to goonto reservations. The result of the peace wasthat more and more settlers came to the areaand the cities of Colorado grew.

Land

Colorado has two different land regions, themountains and the plains. The majestic RockyMountains are located in the western part ofthe state. As you come west across the plainsand see the foothills of Colorado’s Front RangeMountains, you can only stand in awe at thebeauty of snow-capped peaks and gorgeousvalleys. Rocky Mountain National Park isparticularly beautiful in all seasons. Othersmaller mountain ranges are the Sawatch Rangeand the San Juan Mountains in the south. Manyof Colorado’s mountains have an elevation ofover 14,000 feet, which is very high. Aftertaking a difficult hike up to the top of one ofthese peaks, the view is breathtaking. This iswhy Katherine Lee Bates, after visiting Pike’s

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Zebulon Pike

Peak, composed the song “America, theBeautiful”.

Many major rivers begin in these mountains. TheColorado River has its source in north centralColorado and becomes larger as many smallerrivers merge into it in western Colorado.Southern Colorado is the site of the beginningof the Rio Grande River. On the eastern sideof the Rocky Mountains, smaller rivers convergeinto the Platte and the Arkansas Rivers.

The Great Plains make up the other land region,found in eastern Colorado. These plains are nowcovered with farms of corn, wheat, hay andother crops. Before farmers settled there theplains were vast grasslands.

Farms

As mentioned, corn, wheat, hay, and other cropsare grown in eastern Colorado, with the farmers

using irrigation to be successful. Water, as we’vesaid before, is very important to farmers inColorado. In years of drought, the governmentmakes sure that people use their water wisely.The system of reservoirs and ditches throughoutthe state is a well-organized effort to bring waterto the eastern plains from the western mountains.Annual snowfall fills the reservoirs, and pipescarry the water under the mountains to theeastern plains.

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View from Pike's Peak where Katherine Lee Bates wasinspired to write "America, The Beautiful."

Reformed Worldview Perspective: It ishard for people in the eastern states toimagine that a simple resource such aswater can be so valuable. Therefore,those of us who live in the eastern stateswhere water is plentiful often take it forgranted. Discuss how we can be goodstewards of this resource that God hasgiven us.

Ranching is the most important agriculturalactivity of Colorado. Ranchers raise large herdsof cattle on the plains of eastern Colorado, whilewestern Colorado ranchers raise sheep in themountainous areas.

Industry

Colorado has more income from industry thanany of the Mountain States. Denver (population600,158 in the city and county) is the capital ofColorado and remains the industrial center ofthe Mountain States. Colorado has manycompanies that provide computer parts andproducts for the aerospace industry (aircraft).Much of this is because the United Statesgovernment has many facilities in Colorado suchas the U.S. Air Force Academy and NORAD.NORAD (North American Aerospace DefenseCommand) is very important to keeping theUnited States and Canada safe from attacks fromthe air. Many military places are located nearColorado Springs (population 416,427) whichis in the center of the state.

Colorado also has many other large communitiesthat are growing in population. In the north,Fort Collins (population 143,986) is a center forhigh technology industries. People from otherstates are moving to Colorado for jobs and alsofor the beautiful scenery and skiing.

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Reformed Worldview Perspective: Weare thankful that our country is at peaceand that at this time we don’t fear anattack from the air. However, the Biblesays in Psalm 20:7,”Some trust inchariots, and some in horses: but we willremember the name of the LORD ourGod.” Discuss whether at times weplace our trust in our own military forces.

Miners in Colorado continue to mine a numberof resources. Gold is mined in the center of thestate at the Cresson Gold Mine in Victor,Colorado. Coal is taken out of the earth in thewestern part of the state and uranium is minedfor use in nuclear reactors in the southwest.Finally, new molybdenum mines are located inthe center of the state.

Arizona - The Grand Canyon State

History

When tourists visit Arizona they realize that theSpanish and the Native Americans were aformative part of the early history of Arizona.We know that in the early 1500s Spanishexplorers such as Coronado explored the area insearch of a treasure of gold, and that laterSpanish missionaries came to establish missions,especially in the southern part of the state. Ruinsof many of these missions still remain inArizona. Tourists can also see many cliffdwellings and the ruins of old Indian villageswhen they visit some of Arizona’s many nationalmonuments.

At times, the Indians (such as the Pueblo,Navajo, and Apache) were tired of being ruledby European or American nations. In the late1680s the Pueblos successfully drove out theSpanish from Arizona and New Mexico. Whenthe United States took over this area after the

Denver, Colorado

Mexican-American War in 1848, troubles arosewith the Indians as miners and settlers flowedinto the area and the Indians resisted. In time,the government placed the Indian tribes inArizona on reservations, places where nativepeople are made to live in an area chosen by theUnited States. In the early years of reservations,some American officials treated the Indiansbadly, but today the U.S. government provideshelp to the Indians to find ways to farm or makea living in other ways.

Geronimo was a famous Apache who resistedthe reservation system. Countless times, thewarrior and his men raided towns in Mexico andAmerica in the 1880s. He escaped over andover from United States troops so that peoplein the Arizona countryside lived in fear. Hisname was known throughout the United Statesuntil he finally surrendered. Later, he was sofamous that he went to the eastern states, evento places such as the St. Louis World’s Fair. U.S.paratroopers in World War II shouted“Geronimo!” as they jumped out of the airplaneso they wouldn’t be afraid. Even today peoplesometimes say this when they jump or dive intothe water .

Although Arizona cities grew in the 1900s, afterWorld War II the population of Arizona rapidlyincreased. One big reason for this is that peoplecould live more comfortably in the Arizona heatbecause of air-conditioning, which had beenmade available to homeowners in warmclimates. Others realized that the dry air inArizona was good for allergies. A growingnumber of people of the northern states alsobegan to live in Arizona, especially in the wintermonths, to escape the cold. These older, retiredpeople are sometimes called “snowbirds.”

Land

People often think of Arizona as a big desert,but the state has a wide variety of landforms.While the climate can be extremely hot in some

areas of the south, the climate in the higherelevations of the north around Flagstaff is muchcooler.

In the northeastern part of the state, theColorado Plateau continues down from the stateof Colorado, with higher land compared to otherregions of the state. This plateau area has deepcanyons and ravines between rugged mountains.Where rivers weave their way through deepplaces between the mountains, the scenery inthis area is beautiful.

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Reformed Worldview Perspective: TheGrand Canyon National Park in thenorthwest part of the state is an area ofawesome and breathtaking beauty.God’s power in creating this deep canyonis clearly shown. Whereas unbelievingscientists claim that the rich red-huedlayers of earth prove that the earth ismillions of years old, God’s power increating this deep canyon is clear to us.While the U.S. National Park Serviceexplains that the Colorado Rivergradually cut this canyon over thosemany years, we believe that God createdthe earth less than 10,000 years ago, andthat He deceives those who foolishlybelieve that they can explain the geologyof the earth. We also believe that theFlood was so powerful that the earth asit was perished, according to 2 Peter 3:6.Read 2 Peter 3 together, and thendiscuss with your classmates andteacher how scientists are foolish whenthey don’t believe the Scriptures and tryto look at the earth itself to determinehow old it is. (A picture of the GrandCanyon is on the the first page of thischapter.)

The Basin and Range region is found in thesoutheastern part of the state. This is a dry,desert area that continues south into the country

of Mexico. You may have heard of the hugewildfires that spread over large parts of this dryland in 2011. The beauty of this area is veryunique in places such as the Painted Desert.Visitors to Arizona can see Yucca plants andcreosote bushes, which are common across thisarea. Yucca plants have long, pointed leavesand a beautiful stalk of flowers. Creosote bushesare desert bushes that can withstand droughtsand high temperatures. People often remembercreosote bushes for the tar-like smell they giveoff.

The Colorado River flows to the lowersouthwestern part of the state, formingArizona’s western border with Nevada andCalifornia. The Gila (HE lah) River, whichstarts in New Mexico, flows westward acrossthe state and empties into the Colorado River,in Yuma, Arizona. The lowland is the SonoranDesert which is home to the saguaro cactus.Summers here are extremely dry and hot, butthis desert area is particularly beautiful,especially when the desert flowers bloom.

Along with Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico,Arizona is part of the “four corners” states, theonly four states that come together at one point.At Arizona’s northeast corner, you can stand infour states at once! The state of Arizona hasthe country of Mexico to the south.

Farming

Irrigation is widely used by farmers in Arizona.The valleys of the Colorado and the Gila Rivershave extensive dams and water projects tochannel the water to farms. This water fromthe irrigation makes it possible to growvegetables such as lettuce and broccoli. Did youknow that Arizona is known for providing muchof the lettuce for the United States, especiallyin the winter months?

Though we often think of cotton as being a cropof only the southern states, it has also long been

an important product of Arizona. Because ofthis, Arizona has many clothing manufacturersin the state. Cattle and dairy farming are alsoimportant in Arizona. Because of the manyrugged and dry areas, this is preferred over cropfarming.

Industry

With the highest population in all the mountainstates (6,392,017 people), Arizona continues togrow. The state is the destination for manytourists, and in addition, as we stated earlier,many people are moving there permanentlybecause of the warm climate in the winter. Thecapital, Phoenix (population 1,445,632), is thecenter of this growth, with several largecorporations in its metropolitan area. Theresidents of Arizona face a big question, Is thereenough water? As we mentioned before, therivers of the Southwest are getting lower andlower, and because of the shortage of water,many people in Arizona often have rocks andstones instead of grass in their yard.

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Phoenix, Arizona

Tucson (TOO sahn) is another largemetropolitan area in the southeastern part ofthe state. This city (population 520,116) is thecenter of the optics industry. It is close to theKitt Peak National Observatory, part of theNational Astronomy Observatory, home to manyhuge telescopes. Two common opticalinstruments are microscopes and telescopes.

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Optical instruments use light to help see far-off or very small objects.

Tourism is an important part of the economyof Arizona because people who want to viewthe Grand Canyon or see the beautifulmountains and desert scenery spend muchmoney at hotels and restaurants in Arizona.

Mining is important to Arizona’s economy. In2007 Arizona produced sixty percent of thecopper in the United States. Many of thesecopper mines are located in the southern partof the state, with the largest in the southwest inMorenci. These copper mines also produce goldand silver, and Arizona is the nation’s secondlargest producer of molybdenum.

Arizona is very close to Mexico, so they share aborder. Because of this, illegal immigration,which we’ve discussed in the past, is a problemin Arizona. Miles and miles of Arizona’s borderhave possible places where people can illegallyenter the United States. As is true in Texas,Mexican factory towns are just across the borderfrom some Arizona cities.

New Mexico - The Land ofEnchantment

History

Santa Fe, the capital of New Mexico, was builtin 1608 by the Spanish. Before this, the PuebloIndians lived in the area in dwellings calledpueblos (mud brick buildings). Imagine that youare a Spanish settler in the 1700s on the dryland of New Mexico. Many years before,Spanish explorers such as Coronado claimed theland for your country, and now you are a farmertrying to grow crops in a dry land, relying onirrigation from the river. While you are farmingand living with your family you must always beon guard against possible Navajo attacks. Thiswas true for settlers, because as we learned in

The American explorer, Zebulon Pike and hisparty were captured by the Spanish and takento Santa Fe as prisoners. After he was releasedhe was able to report to the United Statesgovernment about Spanish life in the southwest.Santa Fe became part of Mexico in 1821 whenMexico gained its independence from Spain.Then finally, Santa Fe and the surroundingterritory became a part of the United States afterthe Mexican-American War, and the city wasoccupied by American forces. Later, the citybecame well known because it was at the endof the famous Santa Fe Trail, used by manypeople as they traveled in stagecoaches and

the last chapter, the Spanish had treated thePueblo Indians poorly, causing the natives torevolt. After awhile, the Spanish regained controland the Pueblo lived with them at peace.

Mountain States

Acoma Pueblo in New Mexico

San Miguel Mission in Santa Fe is oneof the oldest church buildings in theUnited States.

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wagon trains. During the Civil War in the 1860s,the north was able to successfully defend thearea against the Confederates. After the war, therailroad reached the area and changed the livesof the inhabitants forever.

Land

Much of the land of New Mexico is barren anddry, although the region can get heavy rain inthe summer season. In the eastern part of NewMexico is the Llano Estacado (YAH no EST aSAH dough), a high grassland surrounded by highmesas. This plain is part of the larger GreatPlains. On the western edge of these plains isthe Pecos (PAY cohs) River which f lowssouthward into the Rio Grande River.

The central part of New Mexico is mountainous,beginning with the high peaks of the RockyMountains in the northern part of the state. TheSacramento Mountains are found in the southernsection of New Mexico. The Rio Grande Riverflows through this mountain region from northto south through some deep rift valleys whereit sometimes looks as if there is a crack in theearth. Many of New Mexico’s large cities arelocated here in the valley. Because many partsof New Mexico are very beautiful, residents callthe state the Land of Enchantment, which meansthat the scenery can take your breath away.

Northwestern New Mexico is part of theColorado Plateau, while the southwestern partis made up of mountains and the basin and rangeregion. New Mexico shares borders with thecountry of Mexico to the south, Arizona to thewest, Colorado to the north, and Texas andOklahoma to the east.

Farms

As you can imagine, farming is difficult in NewMexico. Any farms that are found here are

located in the river valleys and use irrigation.However, over half of the land in New Mexicois good only for ranching and raising livestock.Dairy cattle are also important in New Mexico.In fact, New Mexico rates seventh in milkproduction in the United States.

Industry

New Mexico is another rapidly growing state inthe United States. Its largest city, Albuquerque(AL bah ker key) has a population of 545,851people. The United States government hashelped the economy over the years by buildingnational laboratories that specialize in sciencein New Mexico. New Mexico was the site ofthe first atomic explosion near Alamogordo in1945, an important test in the construction ofatomic bombs which helped bring World War IIto an end.

Today, the open spaces of New Mexico are stillused for science. For example, in SpaceportAmerica, an inland space center which wasdeveloped in 2009, private citizens may soonhave an opportunity to fly into space! Theseare very interesting prospects as we move intothe future.

New Mexico has a wide blend of people livingin the state. In addition to Americans that havesettled in New Mexico, there are many otherswho influence the life and culture there,including people from Spain, Mexico, and thenative Indians. Visitors to New Mexico can stillvisit working pueblos in areas such as Taos, andcan view and buy the beautiful turquoise jewelryand rugs made by the Indians. Tourists will alsosee everywhere the many ways that Mexicansand Spanish people have influenced the life ofthe people there.

Introduction

While sitting on the beaches in western Oregon,your view along the coast is beautiful. As youlook out on the vast Pacific Ocean, the sun peeksout on a small section of the water giving itdifferent hues of shimmering color. Such is anexample of the beauty of God’s creation foundall over in the Pacific States. In other places ofthis region, large snow-capped mountains showthe majesty of our Creator God. It is no wonderthat many tourists choose to visit the PacificStates on their vacations throughout the year.

Land

Every state in the Pacific States Region has ashoreline on the Pacific Ocean. Washington,Oregon, and California each have a westerncoastline on the great ocean. These three statesare part of the 48 contiguous states (the statesthat touch each other), while Alaska and Hawaiiare located elsewhere in the Pacific. Washington,Oregon, and California have many distinct landregions. Along the coast are Pacific CoastRanges of mountains, while further inland theCascades rise to form another chain ofmountains that includes such beautiful peaks

Pacific StatesChapter Eleven

205The Oregon coast with the Pacific Ocean

206maps.com

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Population Map ofthe Mountain States

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Alaska - AKCalifornia - CAHawaii - HIOregon - ORWashington - WA

as Mt. Rainier in Washington and Mt. Hood inOregon. To the east of the Cascades is theColumbia Plateau. The mighty Columbia Riverbegins in Canada, flows through Washington,and forms the border between much of Oregonand California.

California has many additional landforms. Eastof the Coast Range is the great Central Valleywhere many rivers are located. To the east ofthe central valley are the rugged Sierra NevadaMountains. Southern California is a region ofdeserts, mountains, and valleys.

Alaska is a very large state located west ofCanada on the north coast of the Pacific Ocean.Hawaii is a state formed by numerous islands inthe Pacific Ocean, more than 2,000 miles fromCalifornia. We will discuss the landforms ofthese states later in the chapter.

Climate

The climate of the Pacific states varies greatlybecause the states are spread out across theglobe. We will discuss three separate climateareas: Alaska, Hawaii, and the West CoastStates.

When we think of Alaska, we often think of astate covered with snow and ice all the time.But this idea is not true, because Alaska doeshave a summer, though it is not very long, andtemperatures generally are cooler than the 48contiguous states. Northern Alaska is very dryand temperatures in July average in the 50s.Central Alaska can have a wide range oftemperatures because it is far inland. Summertemperatures can reach into the 80s whilewinters can have very cold temperatures. Alongthe coast in southern Alaska the water of thePacific Ocean greatly affects the climate. Aswe have learned before, cities near large bodiesof water don’t have extreme temperaturechanges over the course of a year. Summertemperatures in Southern Alaska are in the 50sand 60s and there is more rain and snow found

here. Winter in Alaska is very cold for much ofthe year because it is dark for most of the day,without the sun to warm the land. As we learnedin Chapter 1, above the Arctic Circle it is possiblefor the sun not to rise at all in a winter day.However, summer days in Alaska have a lot ofsun, even though it doesn’t rise very high in thesky.

Hawaii’s subtropical climate is very differentfrom Alaska's. Most of the year the temperaturesaverage in the 70s and 80s, making Hawaii avery desirable place for tourists. Especially inthe summer, trade winds blow from the southeastmaking Hawaii a very comfortable place to live.However, Hawaii does have some areas withdifferent climates. Some of the higher mountainareas have cold temperatures and receive snow.Other mountain areas are extremely wet,especially on the windward side of mountains(the side on which the wind blows).

Washington, Oregon, and California have a widevariety of climate types. In western Washington,western Oregon, and northwestern California,the climate is humid and rainy because of thePacific Ocean and the Cascade Mountains.Humid air blows off the ocean and runs intothe mountains. Then, as the air rises to go overthe mountains, the air rapidly cools, formingrain, because cold air can’t hold as much water 209

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Ship on the Columbia River

as warm air. On the opposite side of themountain, the landforms are more desert-likein the rain shadow (the dry side of a mountain).This area in eastern Oregon and Washingtonhas a steppe climate similar to that of themountain states.

The west coast of California has aMediterranean Climate (like the countries onthe Mediterranean Sea). Summers in these areasare dry and hot, while rains usually occur in themild winters. Southern California is dry with ahot desert climate.

The Pacific States have to watch for hurricanesand tsunamis. Hurricanes are not as commonthere as in the eastern part of the Unites States.However, powerful storms can hit and destroyproperty, especially in Hawaii and California.Hurricane Iniki destroyed large areas on theHawaiian island of Kauai in 1992. Tsunamisare tidal waves caused by earthquakes under theocean floor. These waves travel extremely fastacross the ocean and are a constant threat to allthe coastal areas of the Pacific States. Thegovernment is working hard to maintain a systemto detect these waves and warn people. Youmight remember that in 2011 Japan had a hugeearthquake and tsunami which also affectedparts of Hawaii.

Economy

Farming

The climate of all the Pacific States exceptAlaska is very good for farming. Farms on theislands of Hawaii are known for raisingsugarcane and pineapple. Southern Washington’sorchards provide apples. Oregon’s WillametteValley was well known as an importantagricultural area as early as the 1820s.. Todayfarmers there specialize in raising nurseryproducts, but they also raise many vegetablesand berries. Finally, California leads the nationin the production of many farm crops that

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cannot be grown in the winter in other parts ofthe country.

Industry

The west coast of the United States is apowerhouse of commerce. The businesses inthe large state of California gain more incomethan the combined businesses of many countries.Many large cities and metropolitan areas inCalifornia are centers for high technologyproducts.

Oregon and Washington also have some largecities, most of them near the coast. Both stateshave large stands of timber for lumber products,

Logs waiting to be transported

and are centers for the computer industry. Asthe original home of the Boeing AircraftCompany, the state of Washington is a leader inairplane manufacturing.

Alaska and Hawaii, though they differ greatlyin climate, both have thriving tourism. Thebeautiful scenery of the mountains of Alaskadraws tourists, while the sunny beaches ofHawaii are a vacation destination for many. Inaddition, Alaska has large areas wherecompanies can pump oil out of the ground.Fishermen catch many salmon during thesummer in Alaskan waters.

History

Years ago, many native tribes made their homein the land of the Pacific States because of theabundant food supplied by the sea, especially

the salmon along the west coast and in Alaska.Early explorers came to these areas from Russia,England, and Spain. Then, explorers from theUnited States including Lewis and Clark cameto the territory that later became Washingtonand Oregon. The United States took over theseareas either by war or by purchasing the landsfrom other countries.

U.S. settlers began to flood into the states ofOregon and California because of the GoldRush of 1849 and because of the good farmlandthat was available. These people came longdistances by covered wagon over trails such asthe Oregon Trail. Their life was very difficultas they tried to work the land or find gold. Sometowns grew quickly, but many were abandonedafter a few years, becoming ghost towns.

The mild climates of these states and the goodfarmland in the valleys have always been a drawfor pioneers and settlers. California has growntremendously over the years, especially after theGreat Depression in the middle 1900s whenpeople moved there to start a new life. Today,California has the greatest population in the U.S.,probably because of the mild climate and theavailable jobs in many industries, includingcomputer technology.

Washington - The Evergreen State

Introduction

The Columbia River has long been an importantwaterway to the Pacific Northwestern part ofour country (Oregon and Washington). BeforeEuropean explorers came to the area, the nativepeoples enjoyed the abundance of salmon fromthe Columbia and other rivers. The frequent rainsthere made it easy for the natives to raise plentyof food for their families. Over the years, theIndians in the area have developed a veryinteresting culture of carvings and art bysculpting many beautiful designs on woodenpoles and on canoes.

Many European nations, including Russia,Spain, Britain, and France were interested in theresources of the Pacific Northwest. They wereafter the beaver and sea otters in the regionwhich could be used for many different articlesof clothing. Finally, because the United Statesalso wanted to claim the area, they sent anAmerican sea captain, Robert Gray, all the wayaround the southern tip of South America toreach the Pacific Northwest. In 1792 Graynamed the Columbia River after his ship.

In 1805 Lewis and Clark reached the area fromthe east by traveling down the Snake andColumbia Rivers all the way to the PacificOcean. The last days of the journey wereparticularly difficult as the crew endured setbackafter setback on the Columbia River because ofthe dangerous rapids. At one point, Clarkthought their party had finally reached the oceanonly to find that they were merely entering theestuary of the river. At another time theirexpedition was almost destroyed when they hadto endure six stormy days in a little cove on thenorth side of the Columbia River.

Finally, in December of 1805, Lewis and Clarkmade it to the Pacific Ocean. Tourists can climbto the exact spot where Clark viewed the greatocean for the first time. The view, even today, isextremely beautiful because of the vast expanseof the ocean and the rocky cliffs below. Theseexplorers met with the Native Americans andhad a good relationship especially with theClatsop Indians. They built Fort Clatsop on theOregon side of the Columbia River. 211

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Reformed Worldview Perspective: Godcreated all beauty and art. We cancertainly see this in the creation whenwe observe the beauty of the snow-capped mountains of Washington. Godalso has given to man the ability todevelop art. However, the men of thisworld use their art for the glory of manand for idol worship. Discuss Romans1:21-23.

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trees like matchsticks over a huge area. Muchwildlife was lost and 57 people died.After the explorations of Lewis and Clark,

thousands of settlers flooded into Washingtonand Oregon. This helped to make the area partof the United States. Because Great Britain alsowanted the land, in 1848 the United States andBritain decided to place the border between theUnited States and Canada where we have it now.As had happened in other places on the frontier,the settlers had their troubles with the Indians,and eventually the Americans forced the Indiansfrom their lands and onto reservations indifferent parts of the state. Towns, such asSeattle with its natural harbor, grew quickly atthis time. Later, in the 1890s, Seattle(population 608,660) really grew because menwanted to reach the gold fields of Alaska. Afterthat the city became an important place to gathersupplies and set sail.

Land

The evergreen forests found here are wonderfulplaces for a drive or a hike. Washington is calledthe Evergreen State because along its west coastare large stands of pine trees. In some placesthere is so much rain that moss hangs from thebranches. In the Olympic National Park in thenorthwest, the climate is so wet that the land isactually a rainforest. North and east of herethe Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Puget(PYOOH jiht) Sound extend many miles inlandfrom the ocean. Many coves and islands arefound on these waterways.

East of the coastal lowlands the gorgeousCascade Mountains appear. These aremountains that are really volcanoes, some thaterupted recently and some that erupted yearsago. The most important of these mountains(from north to south) are Mount Baker, MountRainier, Mt. Adams, and Mt. St. Helens. In 1980,Mt. St. Helens had a huge eruption that blewthe cone off the top of the mountain, causingash to spew out of the mountain for days,covering large parts of Washington, Idaho, andMontana. The explosion leveled and toppled

Pacific States

Reformed Worldview Perspective: Whenwe visit Mt. St. Helens we realize thatGod’s great power was on display here.Christians who visit the site are deeplymoved by God’s power. In a short time,God made lakes where there were nolakes before. God quickly carvedcanyons that didn’t exist prior to theexplosion. It doesn’t have to takemillions of years for a canyon to form,as the evolutionists try to teach us. Butwe know by faith that God created theworld in six days as we read in Hebrews11.

The 1980 eruption of Mt. St. Helensknocked down these trees.

East of the Cascades lies the Columbia Plateau,a rather dry area due to the rain shadow effect.While most of this plateau is steppe, some partsare desert. The Columbia River, which beginsin Canada, flows down through the RockyMountains in northeast Washington and thensouth through the center of this area. Next itforms the southern border with Oregon beforeit empties into the Pacific Ocean. Major riversfrom Idaho, including the Snake River, feed intothe Columbia.

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Above: The eruption of Mt. St. Helens formed Cold-water Lake because the debris dammed up a valley.Below: Mt. St. Helens veiled by clouds in 2010.

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Farming

Eastern Washington is rich in agriculture. Thisis truly remarkable because the land is so dry,making irrigation necessary for crop growth.The government has built many dams over theyears on rivers like the Columbia, including themost important dam, the Grand Coulee Dam inCentral Washington. Using irrigation water, thedesert has bloomed with countless orchards thatproduce many of the apples in our country.

Here is how irrigation works. First, a large damis built on a river which stops much of the river’swater. The water rises naturally behind the dam,and long lakes such as Roosevelt Lake inWashington are formed. Engineers determinehow much water to let through the dam so thatfloods don’t occur. Then, the water from thelake goes through man-made ditches to thesurrounding farms.

Dairy farming west of the Cascade Mountainsproduces milk and milk products for the cities.Ranchers raise beef cattle throughout the state,but especially in the eastern part, where manyfarms are also used for growing wheat.

Industry

Most of the people in Washington live alongthe coast, especially near the shores of the PugetSound, where Olympia, the state capital, andother large cities are located. Look at the mapon page 207 to see how the Puget Sound goesinland from the north for 100 miles! Jobopportunities are available for workers in thecomputer industry in the Seattle area, home ofthe Microsoft Corporation. Today thiscorporation is a leader in providing computerprograms for the computer industry. Before 1980few homes had computers, but with the help ofMicrosoft, people began to have computers intheir own home. Just as the automobile changedthe way people live in the United States, thecomputer has also greatly changed our lives.

Pacific States

Spokane, Washington

Aircraft manufacturing is big business in theSeattle metropolitan area. Long before, butespecially since World War II, Boeing has beenbuilding aircraft there. It is interesting that duringWorld War II the entire Boeing factory hadcamouflage over it so that it looked like citystreets to fool the enemy! Today, Boeing makeslarge airplanes, making it easy to fly from city tocity.

Washington’s vast forests make a thrivinglumber industry possible. These lumbercompanies also plant trees so that we will stillhave forests in the future. The mining of coaland gold is done in the eastern part of the state.The largest city in eastern Washington is Spokane( population 208,916).

Oregon - The Beaver State

Introduction

Oregon and Washington had much in commonin their early history. Trappers from foreignnations took sea otters and seals from the coastalwaters in Oregon, and trappers caught beaverin the forests, giving Oregon its nickname, theBeaver State. As in Washington, the nativepeople of Oregon also depended on salmon thatrushed up the Columbia every year. Animportant trading city on the Columbia was“The Dalles” (the DALLS), which exists to thisday. Here, the natives prepared salmon intopemmican. This was carefully dried salmon

meat beat into a paste so that it could be storedfor long periods. This process gave the peoplefood year-round.

We learned that Lewis and Clark completed theirtrip across the continent in 1805. As they camedown the Columbia, they met the Indians atvarious villages, including The Dalles. Theymade their winter camp at Fort Clatsop, on thesouthern shore of the mouth of the ColumbiaRiver, near the settlements of the ClatsopIndians. The fort was square in shape with awide walkway straight through the center. Onboth sides were cabins with roofs that slopeddown toward the walkway. These sloping roofswere necessary during the winter of 1805-1806,because it rained almost every day. While livinghere, Lewis and Clark traded with the Indians,wrote in their journals, and prepared for theirreturn to the eastern United States.

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landmarks came into view, meaning that theywere nearing Fort Laramie in southwesternWyoming, the largest of the forts where theybought supplies and received protection fromthe Indians. Taking leave of Fort Laramie, manyparties would branch off to other trails that ledto other states in the west. Those who stayedon the trail traveled through what is nowWyoming and up the Snake River valley in thefuture state of Idaho. After the weary travelerscrossed the Blue Mountains and reached theColumbia River, some continued on land, andothers went down the river. Finally, at the endof the trip, they made it to the land of theirdreams, the Willamette Valley, which somecalled “the land flowing with milk and honey”.Many towns that they established are still theretoday.

Land

Oregon’s landforms follow the same pattern asWashington’s. Along the Pacific Coast are eitherbeautiful beaches or majestic cliffs formed bythe pounding of ocean waves. The Coast Rangeis part of the Pacific Coastal Ranges that run ina north and south line along the Pacific Oceanand continue into California, to the south ofOregon. The Willamette River runs northwardthrough the lowland region of the WillametteValley, where two-thirds of the people live. Eastof the valley are the high Cascade Mountainswhere the highest point of Oregon is located atMt. Hood (elevation 11,239 feet). Anotherinteresting landmark of the Cascades is CraterLake, the deepest lake in the United States(1,943 feet deep). The land west of the Cascadesis rainy with many forested areas, some areasgetting so much rain that the branches of thepine trees have moss hanging from them.

The land east of the Cascades is extremely drywith some areas of desert. In the northeast arethe Blue Mountains. To the south and southwestis the Basin and Range Region similar to muchof Nevada. As in Nevada and Utah, some of

A reconstruction of Fort Clatsop

The explorations of Lewis and Clark preparedthe way for many settlers who came to Oregonon the famous Oregon Trail in the middle 1800s.Starting in Independence, Missouri, coveredwagons drawn by oxen began the long journeyto the Oregon country. For many weeks theytraveled along the Platte River in Nebraska.Then the Chimney Rock and Scott’s Bluff

Most of Oregon’s largest cities are in theWillamette Valley, west of the Cascades. NearPortland (population 583,776), many ships areloaded with cargo, especially wheat, for exportto other countries. These ships line up downthe wide Columbia River, pass under a bridgenear Astoria, and head out to the Pacific Ocean.Other cities in the Willamette Valley are thecapital, Salem (population 154,637), and Eugene(population 156,185). Some large computercompanies, including Intel, provide many jobsin this region

California - The Golden State

Introduction

California has the most people of any state inthe United States (37,253,956 people). It leadsthe nation in many aspects of industry, farming,and even culture. Young people across thecountry look to California for what is fashionablein the country. How did this west coast staterise and grow to the state that it is today?

the rivers in eastern Oregon flow into lakes whichdry up or never get too deep because their waterevaporates.

The Columbia River forms much of the northernborder between Oregon and Washington. Manylarge rivers feed into the Columbia, includingthe Snake River which forms much of theeastern border with Idaho. This eastern borderarea has deep canyons which are difficult toreach by land. The deepest gorge (canyon) isHells Canyon in northeastern Oregon, where theland drops one and one-half miles from the topof the mountains down to the Snake River.

Farming

Irrigation is used for much of the agriculture inOregon. In the dry regions of the east, smallerrivers provide the necessary water to grow cropsfor the herds of cattle. Because the mountainsprovide much water, some rivers don’t needdams. The John Day River, used by many farmersfor irrigation, flows 231 miles without a singledam.

Oregon’s farmers raise many different crops inthe rich Willamette Valley. The most importantfarming business is the raising and selling ofnursery products for gardens and homes,including flowers such as tulips. In the spring,beautiful tulips bloom row upon row innorthwestern Oregon. Another importantproduct is different types of grass seed neededby homeowners across the country who want tokeep their lawns full and green. The farms ofOregon harvest many different varieties of grassseed so that customers can choose the best typefor their home or business.

Industry

Wood products are important for the economyof Oregon. Because of Oregon’s vast forests, ithas become a leader in lumber production.

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Reformed Worldview Perspective: Before1990, Oregon’s lumber industry was thelargest in the country. However, after1990, the United States governmentbegan telling lumber companies to notcut down trees in areas where the spottedowl lived, because that owl was in dangerof extinction. Across the country, manypeople debate about what should bedone, because small towns in Oregondepend on the income that the lumberprovides. Environmentalists claim thatif trees are cut down near the spottedowl, eventually the owl will becomeextinct. Many of these scientists havethe belief that this world will last forever.Discuss how we as Christians are to begood stewards of God’s resources.

Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego – thelist of Spanish names of California cities goeson and on because California once was a Spanishterritory. Already in the late 1700s Spain wantedto exercise its power in California against theIndians and any other foreign nation that alsowanted the land. By the early 1800s, manySpanish mission churches lined the coast andhave now become some of California’s largecities. For example, Los Angeles means “theangels”, and San Francisco refers to SaintFrancis, a saint in the Roman Catholic Church.

In 1830, Mexico, which claimed California,gained its independence from Spain, and theSpanish missions were closed. For the next fewyears California was under Mexican rule, untilgroups of citizens showed their dislike for thegovernment. Men rebelled in 1846 and formedwhat they called the “Bear Republic.” After theMexican-American War ended in 1848, the landof California became part of the United States.In 1849 when gold was found in a creek at aplace called Sutter’s Mill (east of Sacramento),thousands of people with “gold fever” called“forty-niners” flooded into California to huntfor gold. At one point, there were so manyabandoned ships left in the ports by the goldseekers, that those who lived in the ports usedthem to make buildings and storefronts! Themining camps usually consisted only of menlooking for gold. The times were lawless, andmuch wickedness went on.

California grew steadily as people in the eastcontinued to move there for the good climateand the farming possibilities. In the 1930s,during and after the Great Depression, a massmigration of people came by vehicle toCalifornia on the newly-formed highways. Manyof these newcomers suffered greatly becausethere were not enough jobs for them. Thenduring the 1970s and after, high technology andcomputer jobs helped the large cities continueto grow.

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Land

California ranks third in the nation in land area.Its shape is a long and narrow rectangle that jutsto the east at the southern end. It is south ofOregon and west of Nevada and Arizona. Thelong Pacific coast is particularly beautifulespecially in northern California. Viewed fromthe peaks of the Coast Range, the ocean isgorgeous as its waves crash against the cliffs.Some of the tallest trees in the world are foundat Redwoods National Park, located in thecoastal area in the northern part of the state.

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The fertile Central Valley dominates themidsection of California. Many rivers flowwestward out of the snow packs of the SierraNevada and combine to form either the SanJoaquin River or the Sacramento River. Theseboth flow into San Francisco Bay which is nearthe midpoint of the California coast. Manyaqueducts (pipelines carrying water) carry morewater to places that are not near the rivers.

The tall and rugged Sierra Nevada Mountains(“Snowy Mountain Range”) are east of theCentral Valley. Some of California’s highestpeaks are found here, including Mt. Shasta(14,162 feet) and Mt. Whitney (14,505 feet).Mt. Lassen, King’s Canyon, and SequoiaNational Parks are three of many National Parks

Redwood Tree

located in the range. The gorgeous Yosemite(YO seh mit tee) National Park has somewaterfalls that are breathtakingly beautiful.

and landslides in wet years. Because so manypeople live in California, these disasters affectmany people.

Farming

When it comes to farming, California is theleader of the United States. The fertile land ofthe Central Valley allows California to producehalf of the country’s fruits, vegetables, and nuts.Due to the mild Mediterranean Climate, cropscan be grown here in the winter months. Alreadyin March, stores in the east begin to seeCalifornia strawberries.

Grapes have always been important toCalifornia’s Central Valley. Long rows ofpropped up sticks carry the vines that producethis delicious fruit. Some grapes are dried forthe production of raisins, while other grapes arecrushed for their tasty juice. Wine is also madefrom grapes after the juice is fermented.Fermenting means that the juice, when allowedto sit in a barrel, forms alcohol. Wine that sitsin a barrel for a long time (“aged wine”) cantaste very good.

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Reformed Worldview Perspective: TheBible speaks about wine as being asymbol of richness. We talked earlierabout the sin of drunkenness in ourstudy of Wisconsin. What are some wayswine can be used for good?

Southern California is much drier and hotter thanthe land in the cooler, northern part of the state.The Mojave Desert and Death Valley, two ofthe hottest and driest places in the world, are inthis area. The record high temperature of theUnited States, 134 degrees, was recorded atDeath Valley in July of 1913. This spot is alsothe lowest in the United States at 181 feet belowsea level.

El Capitan at Yosemite National Park

The Central Valley is also home to farms thatproduce an abundance of dairy products forCalifornia’s huge population. Because of thisgreat need, California has become the top dairyproducing state in the country. As students ofgeography we stand in awe at how God can makea valley so fertile. Sufficient water flows downfrom the mountains into the valley, good soil isthere, and the climate is right!

Dunes at Death Valley National Park

California has its share of what we call disasters.Earthquakes are a constant threat along the SanAndreas (San an DRAY us) Fault. A fault is abreak in the earth’s crust where earthquakesoccur. Other threats are wildfires in dry years

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Industry

Since ten percent of the U.S. population lives inCalifornia, it is no surprise that California leadsthe nation in business. Many large companieshave headquarters in the Golden State, and overthe years many people have come there for jobs.These people need homes to live in, so theconstruction industry has done well untilrecently. Beginning in 2008, many constructionworkers lost their jobs because of the recessionthat hit the whole nation.

Nevertheless, California is hopeful that its manyother businesses will make more jobs for thepeople of the state. In order to explain, we’lltake a look at some of California’s many largecities.

The second largest city in the country is LosAngeles (population 3,792,621), located on thecoast in the south. The city’s metropolitan areais filled with numerous suburbs that areconnected with a web of highways. The exhaustfrom all the cars often creates smog pollution inthe valley because it is hemmed in by mountains.Over the years, the state has made great

improvements in reducing this pollution byrequiring cars to not give off so much exhaustsmoke.

Los Angeles benefits from trade with othercountries, especially from Asia. Its large harborserves many ships from other countries. Thecity's tourism and entertainment are alsoimportant to the economy. Disneyland, one ofthe largest amusement parks in the country, islocated nearby. Many television programs andfilms are produced in Hollywood and otherplaces in the Los Angeles area.

Smog in Los Angeles

Reformed Worldview Perspective: Morethan ever before, Christians have theopportunity to watch videos. We canwatch programs on television, theinternet, and even on a hand held iPod!Many of the programs have extremelysinful behavior. Also, many programshave acting. An actor is a person whopretends to be another person. Discussin class why acting is really lying. Also,discuss how videos can be used for goodin the church.

The second largest city of California is on thefar southern coast. San Diego (population1,307,402) began as a Roman Catholic missionchurch and like Los Angeles grew because ofits good harbor. Today, the United States navyhas a large presence there. Because many navy

San Diego

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ships call San Diego home, you will usually seea number of sailors on the streets wearing theirwhite uniforms.

One of the best harbors in California is foundin San Francisco Bay. Because of this, a numberof large cities are around it. San Jose (san HOSAY), located south of the bay, is the thirdlargest city of California with a population of945,942. The city serves as a center for SiliconValley, a place where many high technologycompanies are located. Here, many of ourcountry’s largest computer companies doresearch and develop their products. Someinventions that you may recognize were theproducts of Silicon Valley, including the firstcomputer mouse which consisted of a woodenbox with a wheel on the bottom!

San Francisco receives much income from themany interesting tourist spots in the city. Thiscity of 805,205 people is home to the stunningGolden Gate Bridge that crosses the bay.Thousands of tourists each week enjoy riding

industry. Cities such as Fresno (population494,665) have companies that produce raisinsand make dairy products from the milk of thecows in the Central Valley.

Chemical manufacturing is a leading industry inthe state. The commercial fishing and theseafood industry thrive along the state’sextensive coastline. Mining continues to beimportant in the mountains of the state. WhileCalifornia has a rich gold mining past, exceptfor one large mine in central California, only afew mines still produce gold.Hawaii - The Aloha State

Introduction

Aloha! That word means “warm greetings” inthe native language of the Hawaiians, the nativepeople who inhabited the islands of Hawaiibefore white men came. Different leaders ruledeach of the islands until 1810, when KingKamehameha I (kah may HAH meh hah) unitedthe islands under himself. Hawaiians lived undera code of rules called “kapo”, which could beso strict that if a common person even touchedthe shadow of the chief, he or she could bekilled.

In 1778, the British sailor and mapmaker,Captain James Cook, visited the HawaiianIslands on one of his many travels in the Pacific.He was the first European to visit with theHawaiians. Cook was first seen as a god by theHawaiians, but a month later he had an argumentwith the natives and was killed on the big island,Hawai’i.

During the middle 1800s, Europeans andAmericans came to Hawaii for whaling and togrow sugarcane, because sugar was a valuablecrop and the Americans wanted a greater sharein it. In a sad series of events, these plantersforced the government of Hawaii out of office.The last queen of Hawaii named Lili’uokalani(lee lee oh oh kah LAH nee) in an attempt to

Golden Gate Bridge near San Francisco

the cable cars, visiting Fishermen’s Wharf, andtouring Alcatraz Island, which was a prison forthe worst criminals in the past. The SanFrancisco area also benefits from the manyInternet companies that have their headquartersin the area.

Because California has much farming, it is nosurprise that food processing is an important

keep her throne, fought against the United Stateswhich wanted to own the land. The last princessKa’iulani (kah ee ew LAH nee), who waseducated partly in Britain, also tried to persuadeAmerican officials not to annex the land. Thefamous author Robert Louis Stevenson (authorof Treasure Island) said this in a poem he wroteabout her: “The island maid, The island rose,Light of heart and bright of face: The daughterof a double race.” While these two women wereable to hold their royal positions, the UnitedStates finally took control of the land in 1898.Since then the island has become an importantnaval station. In 1993, President Bill Clintonsigned a letter of apology on behalf of the U.S.for the overthrow of Hawaii’s government. Tothis day, many Hawaiians still regret theAmerican takeover.

Land

The land of Hawaii is full of exotic plants thatare beautiful to behold. It is land that containsmany peaks formed by the spewing lava ofvolcanoes, peaks so large that they grew fromthe sea floor and rose above the ocean surface.The result was many islands in a group calledan archipelago (a chain of islands). The mainislands are these from west to east: Ni’ihau(NEE how), Kaua’i (kah WAH ee), O’ahu (ohAH who), Moloka’i (mal eh KI), Kaho’olawe(kah oh oh LAV aye), Maui (MAUW ee), andthe big island of Hawai’i (hah WHY ee).Because Hawaii is about 2,500 miles fromCalifornia, it is an isolated state.

Volcanoes are a major landform of Hawaii. Twoof the most important are located on the bigisland. Their names are Mauna Loa (MAWN ahLOH ah) and Mauna Kea (MAWN ah KAY ah).Nearby is the Kilauea (key lah WAY ah) Crater,where many dangerous eruptions still take place.The fiery lava moves quickly, destroyingeverything in its path. Natives even have wordsfor different kinds of lava. “A’a” (AH ah) isstony and rough lava, while “pahoehoe” (pa hoEE oh HE) has a billowy look to it.

The climate of Hawaii is extremely pleasant withtemperatures usually in the 80s. Beautifulbeaches with many pretty flowers greet tourists,and gentle trade winds that blow from thesoutheast make the weather great for visitors.Tourists to Hawaii can hike or ride to see thedifferent plants and waterfalls of the islands.

Farming

Hawaii is well-known for avocadoes, papayasand pineapples and for many other kinds ofdelicious fruits. Pineapple farming is bigbusiness on many of the islands becausepineapples have long been a treasured fruit.Sailors since the time of Columbus broughtthem home as prizes. After a man named JamesDole developed the pineapple growing businesson the Hawaiian lands in the 1900s, pineapplesbecame widely available for a reasonable price.The fruit grows in plains between the mountainsof Hawaii. First workers plant the leafy top ofa pineapple in the ground. Next, the pineappleplant grows long sharp leaves that stick out.After many months of manual labor, thepineapple fruit on top is ready for harvest. Theresult is a fruit with its scaly outside and tastyinside. To process the fruit, machines cut offthe outside and bore out the center so that a rollof pineapple is left. Most of it is then cannedand shipped to the United States and othercountries.

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Pineapple Field

Sugar plantations also are a major agriculturalindustry in Hawaii. Sugar is obtained from thelong cane of a very tall sugarcane plant.Machines cut down the cane which then mustbe transported quickly to the processingbuilding. At the processing plant, machines withknives cut around the edge of the cane to get atthe sugar inside. Then, the cane is ground downand processed into tasty sugar through a complexprocess.

Industry

The economy of Hawaii is dominated by thetourism industry. People from all around theworld and from mainland United States comehere to vacation on Hawaii’s beautiful beaches.Hotels abound in many of the islands. Thelargest city in Hawaii is Honolulu, the capital,with a population of 953,207 in the city andsurrounding county.

Tourists in Hawaii spend their time and moneyin many different ways. They need to pay for ahotel so that they have a place to stay while inHawaii. Restaurants also gain income becomepeople are willing to pay for a good meal. Since

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visitors have to fly in or take a ship, most ofthem need to rent a car or pay for a taxi. Sometour operators also offer interesting tours of thebeautiful islands. Other people enjoy surfingon the waves or lounging on the beach. Whenthey arrive, most tourists may receive a lei, along strand of flowers placed around their necks.

The Honolulu area, on the island of O’ahu, alsoserves our navy and armed forces at PearlHarbor. The Hawaiian Islands were a key port,especially during the time when ships ran oncoal, because they would stop at Hawaii torefuel. On December 7, 1941, two years afterWorld War II began in Europe, Japanese fighterplanes bombed Pearl Harbor. In that devastatingattack, many of our ships were destroyed, andas a result the United States entered World WarII. Many people remember that PresidentFranklin D. Roosevelt referred to this day as a“Day of Infamy” (a day that is famous becauseof a bad thing that happened.). Today, you canvisit the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harborput there to help remember that terrible day.Because Pearl Harbor continues to be animportant naval base, today it is a benefit toHawaii's economy.

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Waikiki Beach in Honolulu

The U.S.S. Arizona during the PearlHarbor attack

Alaska - The Last Frontier

Introduction

The state of Alaska is double the size of thelarge state of Texas. The amount of naturalresources available is immense, making Alaskaa jewel for our country. The beauty of the landand sea there is a treasure of God’s creativehand. Particularly in summer, when the flowersof the field bloom and the mountains still havetheir snowcaps, the scenery is gorgeous.

Few people live in this land today even afterEuropean settlement. Some early native peoplewere the Inuit (of northern Alaska), theAthabascan (central), and the Aleut (of theAleutian islands in the southwest). All of thesetribes learned to live in a harsh winter climatebecause they found a way to use almost everypart of an animal they killed for food, for warmclothing, or as a means to gather more food. Forexample, the natives would use seal skin as aliner for a fishing vessel. Natives such as theAthabascans have used dog sleds to travel formany years, a mode of transportation still usedtoday in the north.

It may surprise you that the first Europeanexplorers to Alaska were the Russians. However,you should realize that Russia is very close toAlaska, across the Bering Strait. This verywide channel of water was named after VitusBering, an early explorer sent to Alaska by theRussians who were interested in the abundanceof sea otters along the Alaskan and Pacific Coast.In the middle 1700s, the Russians hired or forcednative peoples to obtain sea otters because thehide of the otter was valuable for clothing andhats. Other nations, particularly Britain andUnited States, began to see the value of Alaskain the years to come, so that by the early 1800s,these nations argued over the claim to Alaska.Finally, it was decided that Alaska belonged toRussia. In the agreement, Britain was given partof the land along the northwestern sea coast tothe south. That also explains why the border 223

between Canada and the United States is soirregular, and why the United States doesn’tconnect with Alaska today.

In 1867, because of a decline in the sea ottertrade, Russia was willing to sell Alaska to theU.S. for what many felt was a good price. At thetime, other people in the United States mockedWilliam Seward because he was the governmentofficial who wanted to buy Alaska. In fact, theycalled Alaska “Seward’s Folly” or “Seward’sIcebox”, because they thought Alaska wasworthless. History has shown that Seward wascorrect when he insisted on buying Alaska withits abundance of natural resources.

The people of United States found this out whenmany prospectors discovered gold in the 1890sin places such as Juneau (the capital today),Nome, and many other areas. The most famousgold rush area actually was just across the borderin a town called Dawson City on the KlondikeRiver, a tributary of the Yukon River. Americanstraveled by ship from Seattle to Dyea in theAlaska Panhandle in order to find gold. Thesepeople truly must have had gold fever, for theyhad to endure the terrible trails just to get toDawson City from Dyea. One example was theinfamous trail to the snow-covered ChilkootPass, where people lined up one by one in orderto cross to the other side. This trail to Dawson

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People climbing to Chilkoot Passin the 1890s

City was so treacherous that many of the gold-seekers and their animals died, either on the passor floating down the Yukon River.

Since the late 1800s and the early 1900s, theU.S. has gotten vast amounts of resources fromAlaska, including fish, gold, oil, and many otherprecious minerals. However, each year thebeauty of the land continues to give great worthto Alaska, as more tourists visit the many parks,glaciers, and public lands there.

Land

Alaska’s land begins far in the north on theshores of the Arctic Ocean. Geographers callthis land the North Slope. This is a lowlandcalled tundra, which as we learned, is a dry,treeless region where only moss or lichens(LIKE ins) grow. A lichen is a creature that isreally a fungus and a plant together.Temperatures here are cool in the summer andvery cold in the winter. The frost in the groundnever totally melts, so the land here ispermafrost. During the summer, the sun neversets because the North Slope is above the ArcticCircle. However, winters there have longperiods of darkness.

South of the North Slope is an arc of mountainscalled the Brooks Range. To the south of thisrange is a broad valley named the Yukon RiverValley. This lowland area gets surprisingly warmin the summer and extremely cold in the winter.There are two reasons that explain this. First,the valley is far from any large body of water,and second, in the summer, while the sun shinesalmost all day, in the winter it rarely shines.224

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Reformed Worldview Perspective: In thegold rush, people were willing to risktheir lives to gain riches. Discuss whatthe Scriptures say about this in theHeidelberg Catechism, Question andAnswer 105.

Because of the many gold fields which were inthe Yukon River Valley, many of the towns thatare still there began during the gold rush. TheYukon River, which begins in Canada and flowsall the way out to the Bering Sea, is the thirdlongest river in the United States.

The steep mountains of the Alaska Range aresouth of the Yukon River. This beautiful landhas snow covered mountains all year, withvalleys that bloom with flowers in the summer.The highest point in North America, Mt.McKinley (elevation 20,320 ft) , also known asDenali, is particularly beautiful at sunset whenthe mountain is covered in rich hues of color.The valleys have glaciers that are many mileslong. Wildlife abounds in Alaska, and moose,bear, and many other wild animals roam thefields. Many of these animals even live in large

A caribou in Alaska

Mt. Mc Kinley, also known as Denali

cities. It is not uncommon to see a moose indowntown Anchorage, the largest city!

Southern Alaska has an unusual shape. Thesoutheast is a long panhandle filled with islandsand sea passages. This is fog-bound land with aclimate that is affected by the sea.Temperatures there are not as cold or warm asthe Alaska Interior due to the water currents inthe Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of Alaska. Thesouthwestern part of Alaska is a longarchipelago, called the Aleutian Islands. Thefarthest island is Attu Island, which is so distantthat it is across the International Date Line.

Farming and Industry

Farming is not very important in Alaska exceptin the small area of the Matanuska Valley nearAnchorage. The fishing industry, however, isthe biggest industry, providing thousands of jobs.The harbors of Alaska’s fishing ports are filledwith fishing boats. During the summer salmonrun, fishermen capture salmon in large nets andstore them in the boat. Their job is oftenextremely dangerous because of the treacherousseas. The salmon are then canned in cities suchas Sitka on the Alaskan panhandle. Other fish

from Alaska include halibut, herring, lobsters,crabs, and cod fish.

Tourism is also extremely important. Peoplecome to Alaska to see the beautiful sight ofDenali or they may want to see the annualIditarod Sleg Dog Race from Anchorage toNome. This great race takes place along thesame route that sled dogs took in a famousemergency mission to Nome bringing valuablemedicine to the city in the early 1900s. Manypeople also visit Anchorage, the key port ofAlaska. Almost all of the cargo for Alaskan citiescomes through the port of Anchorage, makingthe city a transportation hub for ships and trains.Today it has a population of 291,826,remarkable for a city that far north.

Valdez (VAL deez), a city near Anchorage, islocated at the end of the famous Trans-AlaskaPipeline. This pipeline was built over roughterrain in the 1970s to bring oil from the NorthSlope to ships on the Gulf of Alaska. Theproject was very important because the UnitedStates needs oil for cars, homes, and businesses.The port of Valdez became known to all theworld in 1989 when there was a terrible oil spillfrom a ship called the Exxon Valdez. Longsections of shoreline and many animals werepolluted with oil in this disaster.

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Trans-Alaska Pipeline

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Reformed Worldview Perspective: Thisends our study of the United States. Weend where we began; praising God forthe freedom that He has given us in thiscountry. Are you thankful for thefreedom to have our own churches andschools and the other freedoms we enjoyas citizens?

Reformed Worldview Perspective: Manypeople in the U.S. argue whether weshould drill for more oil in Alaska’sNorth Slope. Some argue that we needthe oil for business. Other people say thatoil drilling pollutes the land. They pointto the disaster of the Exxon Valdez asproof. Discuss how we should use thecreation in a wise way as God’s stewards.

Alaska’s other large city is Fairbanks, locatedon the Tanana River in central Alaska. Fairbanksbegan as a gold rush town, but now it reliesmostly on the government for jobs. The cityhas several military establishments, and theUniversity of Alaska is found here. Because ofAlaska’s location near Russia, it has always beenimportant for the safety of our country. DuringWorld War II, the only land battle fought onUnited States territory was a fierce battle inwhich American soldiers took back Attu Islandfrom the Japanese. Over 2,000 Japanese and 500Americans died fighting in the ice-coldtemperatures at the far western end of theAleutian Islands.

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Credits ListPolitical and elevation maps are revised with permission from maps purchased by maps.com. Map on p. 17also applies.

Population maps are Credit to the United States Census Bureau.

Graphics in chapter 1 are used by permission of Pearson Publishing. Pgs. 5-9.Pictures owned by the author: p. 11, 13, 14, 22, 34 (2), 51, 67, 68, 83, 96, 98, 99, 107, 108, 109, 113, 115-127, 131, 135-140, 143 (I have permission by Daniel Boone’s Home to take picture), 144-155, 166, 167,177-187, 190, 191, 194, 197 (Rock), 199, 205-215

Pictures obtained from Wikimedia Commons. The persons who took the pictures from the following pagesrequest credit. As part of the agreement, we state the following, “The following photographers took the pictureson the following pages listed. The photographers do not in any way endorse the producers of U.S. Geographyor the work entitled U.S. Geography.” Also, the producers of U.S. Geography do not necessarily endorse andpromote the content of the works listed as credit or the authors thereof. Public Domain pictures are listed toprove that they are public domain.

p. 25 forestecologynetwork.orgp. 26 used by permission of Skoriak sailing.p. 27 Public Domain: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Plymouth_Mayflower_II.jpgp. 28 Forest J. Handford (Slater Mill)p. 28 User: AudeVivere (Cadillac Mountain)p. 29 User: NightThree http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Tractors_in_Potato_Field.jpgp. 1, 29 Public Domain: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Portland_Headlight_2000_3.jpg

p. 30: Public Domain: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Old_Man_of_the_Mountain_overlay_2.jpgp. 31 Public Domain:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Manch-DownTown.jpg\p. 32: Public Domain: Matthew Tealp. 33 Jared C. Benedictp. 35 Public Domain: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Boston_downtown_skyline.jpgp. 36 User: Whitney, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Bluffs-_Block_Island%2C_RI.jpgp. 38 Public Domain: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hartford_Connecticut_Skyline.JPGp. 39: Public Domain: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Shade_grown_tobacco_in_East_Windsor_Connecticut.JPGp. 41 Bernd Untiedt, Germanyp. 45 Public Domain: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Niag715.jpgp. 46 Public Domain: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Welland_canal_and_skyway.JPGp. 47 Public Domain: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Line3174_-_Shipping_Containers_at_the_terminal_at_Port_Elizabeth%2C_New_Jersey_-_NOAA.jpgp. 48 Robert Swinneyp. 49 User: Sergueyp. 50 Bala Subs (Lake Placid)p. 50 Daniel Case (Catskill Mountains)p. 52 Public Domain: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e3/Statue_of_Liberty_2.JPGp. 52 CBC from de.wikipediap. 54 USDA Agricultural Research Service

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p. 55 Public Domain: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Barnegat_Light.jpgp. 56 Public Domain: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Chimney_Rock_Mountain_Overlook.jpgp. 60 Public Domain: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Pentagon_US_Department_of_Defense_building.jpg (Credit to the U.S. Department of Defense)p. 61 User: Piotrusp. 62 Luiz F. Castrop. 63 Tim Kiser (Wilmington)p. 63 Public Domain: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Delaware_State_Capitol.jpgp. 64 Ad Meskensp. 65 Public Domain http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Baltoport.jpgp. 67 Kevin Mc Coyp. 68 Tim Kiser (barge)p. 69 Christopher Hollis for Wdwic Picturesp. 70 Public Domain http://www.usda.gov/oc/photo/96vs2177.htm (Credit to the USDA)p. 71 Jason Prattp. 72 Public Domain http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cataloochee_Valley-27527.jpgp. 76 Public Domain http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:OkefenokeeNWR3.jpg (Credit to US Fish andWildlife Service)p. 77 Markus Brunner, Germanyp. 78 Public Domain: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:BH_SlaveCabins.jpgp. 80 Public Domain: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Wrightflyer.jpg (Library of Congress)p. 81 Doug Coldwell (derivative work) (Biltmore)p. 81 Public Domain http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Downtown-Raleigh-from-Western-Boulevard-Overpass-20081012.jpegp. 85 Public Domain http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Eugene_Talmadge_Memorial_Bridge.jpg(Credit to USACE)p. 86 Public Domainp. 87 Public Domain http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Molasses11.jpgp. 89 User: Captain-tucker (Miami)p. 89 User: Sonny SideUp (Tampa)p. 90 User: Jon Zanderp. 91 User: SteelCityHobbiesp. 97 User: Jaknouse (Buckeye)p. 97 User: GandZ (Cuyahoga)p. 101 Public Domain http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Indiana_Harbor.jpg (Credit to USACE) (IndianaHarbor

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p. 101 Public Domain http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Downtown_indy_from_parking_garage_zoom.JPG (Indianapolis)

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p. 102 User: Ian Manka (Lincoln House)p. 103 User: J. Crockerp. 105 User: Lars Lentz

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p. 106 Public Domain http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Henry_ford_1919.jpg (Ford)p. 106 User: Shawn Wilson (Detroit)p. 114 Public Domain http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Deepwater_Horizon_fire_2010-04-21.jpg(Credit to the U.S. Navy)p. 122 User: Jengodp. 129 Public Domain http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Downtown_Mobile_2008_01.jpg (Mobile Bay)p. 129 Public Domain http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Broiler_house.jpg (Broilers)(Credit to USDA)p. 129 User: Eric in SF (Birmingham)p. 130 User: Infrogmationp. 141 Public Domain http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Grant_DeVolson_Wood_-_American_Gothic.jpgp. 157 User: Larry D. Moore http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Texas_longhorn.jpg (CC) Larry D.Moore or GFDL photo by Larry D. Moore or Image by Larry D. Moore, used under a Creative CommonsShareAlike License.p. 161 Public Domain http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Occluded_mesocyclone_tornado5_-_NOAA.jpg(Credit to NOAA)p. 162 Public Domain http://www.defense.gov/PhotoEssays/PhotoEssaySS.aspx?ID=1659 (Credit to USCoast Guard)p. 163 User: Daniel Schwen (Alamo)p. 163 User: Madman2001 (Pottery)p. 164 Public Domain http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Litterocknine.jpg (Credit to US Army)p. 165 User: Chris Lightp. 168 Public Domain http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:New_Orleans_USACE-Blackhawk-A-09-04-05_0072.jpg (Credit to USA)p. 169 User: PRAp. 170 User: Edibobb (Off-shore pump)p. 170 Public Domain http://www.pms317.navy.mil/ (New Orleans)(Credit to the US Navy)p. 171 Public Domain http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dust_storm_CimarronCounty_OK.jpg (Credit toOffice of War Information)p. 172 Public Domain http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Oklahoma_City_National_Memorial.jpg(Oklahoma City Memorial)p. 172 User: Daniel Mayer (Capitol)p. 173 Public Domain http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Antonio_Lopez_de_Santa_Anna_1852.jpgp. 174 User: Daniel Schwenp.p. 175 Public Domainp. 176 User: Urban (Houston)p. 176 User: fcn80 (Dallas)p. 189 User: Pruhterp. 193 User: Tobi87p. 194 User: Ken Lundp. 195 Public Domainp. 197 Public Domain http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bingham_mine_5-10-03.jpg (Copper Mine)p. 198 Public Domain http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Zebulon_Pike.jpgp. 200 User: Matt Wrightp. 202 Public Domain http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Phoenix.skyline.750pix.jpgp. 203 User: Scott Catron (Acoma)

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p. 203 User: Pretzelpaws (San Miguel)p. 217 Public Domain http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Coastal_redwood.jpgp. 218 Public Domain http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:El_Capitan,_Yosemite_NP.jpg(El Capitan)p. 218 Public Domain http://pdphoto.org/PictureDetail.php?mat=&pg=5303 (Death Valley)p. 219 Public Domain http://pdphoto.org/PictureDetail.php?mat=&pg=5215 (LA)p. 219 Public Domain pdphoto.orgp. 220 Public Domain http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Golden_Gate_Bridge_01.jpgp. 221 User: Jacob Rusp. 222 Public Domain http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Waikiki_Beach_12-09_-_IMG_2496.JPG(Waikiki)p. 222 Public Domain http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:USSArizona_PearlHarbor.jpg(Credit to National Archives and Records Administration)p. 223 Public Domain http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Miners_climb_Chilkoot.jpgp. 224 Public Domain http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Caribou.jpg (Caribou)(Credit to the US Fish andWildlife Service)p. 224 Public Domain http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Denali_Mt_McKinley.jpg (Credit to the NationalPark Service, US)p. 225 Public Domainhttp://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:800px-Trans_Alaska_Pipeline_Denali_fault_shift.JPG(Credit to USGS)