Northern United States facts for kids
The Northern United States, also called the American North or just the North, is a term that can mean different things depending on if you're talking about geography (where places are) or history (past events).
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Geographic North
When we talk about geography, the Northern United States includes states and regions in the northern part of the United States of America. This includes states that are along the border with Canada.
Census Bureau Regions
The United States Census Bureau is a government group that collects information about people and places. They divide the northern parts of the U.S. into different areas:
- The Midwest Region
- The Northeast Region
- Some northern states of the Northwestern United States, which are part of the larger West Region.
Historical North
Historically, the meaning of "the North" has changed over time.
Early History
Before the 1800s, when the U.S. began to expand westward, "the Northern United States" mostly referred to the New England region. By the 1830s, it generally meant the area we now call the Northeastern United States.
American Civil War
During the American Civil War (1861-1865), the Northern United States was made up of the states that stayed loyal to the original United States of America. These states were called the Union states. In this time, "The North" was another name for the Union.
The states that left the U.S. to form their own country, the Confederate States of America, were called "The South." Sometimes, historians disagree about exactly which states were considered "The North" during the Civil War, especially because some states that allowed slavery still remained part of the Union.
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