Geographic History

US State Histories

Colonial settlement, territorial periods, and statehood histories for all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and US territories. Each entry covers the pre-contact era through modern statehood.

states and DC

territories

total entries

Northeast

Midwest

South

West

Territories

Guam

Puerto Rico

U.S. Virgin Islands

About this collection

What history is covered for each state?

Each state entry covers the pre-contact era, successive colonial periods (Spanish, French, British, Dutch, or Russian as applicable), the territorial period, and the path to statehood. Narratives are drawn from cross-verified historical sources.

Which states have sub-regional histories?

States with complex colonial boundaries — where different regions were claimed by different European powers — have individual sub-regional entries. Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Minnesota, Mississippi, and Oklahoma each have two or more regional histories reflecting distinct colonial and territorial trajectories.

How does state history connect to historic sites and conflict records?

Each state history page links directly to National Register historic sites, Civil War military engagements, regiment records, and indigenous heritage groups associated with that state. Cross-links appear at the bottom of every state page.

Research the history near your location

Every Aubrey US report includes state and county history, historic sites, Civil War records, and more within your chosen radius.

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Everything a full the United States report reveals

Pick any location and Aubrey pulls together 18 strands of its history, each drawn from the record:

Overview

An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.

The Land

The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.

Geology

The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.

LiDAR Terrain

Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.

Conflict & War

The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.

The Civil War

The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.

The Soldiers

The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.

Native Heritage

The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.

Settlement

Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.

The Community

How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.

Rivers & Rail

The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.

Notable People

The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.

Historical Maps

Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.

Finds & Access

Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.

Literature

The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.

Spotlight

A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.

Points of Interest

The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.

Timeline

The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.

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