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The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four census regions of the United States Census Bureau. It occupies the northern central part of the United States. [1] It was officially named the North Central Region by the U.S. Census Bureau until 1984. [2]
1 day ago · Learn about the Midwest region of the United States, its states, map, culture, and facts. Explore its history from the Northwest Territory to the Great Plains, and its influence on national life and economy.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Learn about the geography, culture, politics and accents of the Midwest, a region of the US with 12 states. Find out how the Midwest is defined, what cities and states are included, and how it differs from other regions.
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Exploration and early settlement
European settlement of the area began in the seventeenth century following French exploration of the region. The French established a network of fur trading posts and Jesuit missions along the Mississippi River system and the upper Great Lakes. French control over the area ended in 1763, with the conclusion of the French and Indian War. British colonists began to expand into the Ohio country during the 1750s. The royal proclamation of 1763, temporarily restrained expansion west of the Appalac...
Waterways as transportation
Two waterways have been important to the Midwest's development. The first and foremost was the Ohio River which flowed into the Mississippi River. Spain's control of the southern part of the Mississippi and refusal to allow the shipment of American crops down the river blocked development of the region until 1795. The second waterway is the network of routes within the Great Lakes. The opening of the Erie Canal in 1825, completed an all-water shipping route, more direct than the Mississippi,...
Slavery
Because the Northwest Ordinance region was the first large region of the United States to prohibit slavery (the Northeastern United States only emancipated slaves in the 1830s), the region remains proud of its free pioneer heritage. Its southern boundary was the Ohio River, the border of freedom and slavery in American history. The Midwest, particularly Ohio, provided the primary routes for the "Underground Railroad," whereby Midwesterners assisted slaves to freedom from their crossing of the...
Factors that probably affected the shaping of Midwest values include the religious heritage of the abolitionist, pro-education Congregationalists to the stalwart Calvinist heritage of the Midwestern Protestants, as well as the agriculturalvalues inculcated by the hardy pioneers who settled the area. The Midwest remains a melting pot of Protestantis...
Midwestern politics tends to be cautious, but the caution is sometimes peppered with protest, especially in minority communities or those associated with agrarian, labor, or populist roots. This was especially true in the early twentieth century when Milwaukee was a hub of the socialist movement in the United States, electing three socialist mayors...
Buley, R. Carlyle. The Old Northwest: Pioneer Period 1815-1840.1951.Cayton, Andrew R.L. Midwest and the Nation.1990.Cayton, Andrew R.L. and Susan E. Gray (eds.). The American Midwest: Essays on Regional History.2001.Frederick, John T. (ed.) Out of the Midwest: A Collection of Present-Day Writing.1944.An overview of the geography, history, culture, and politics of the Midwest, a region of the United States that includes 12 states. Learn about the physical features, cities, population, and major events of the Midwest.
Sep 20, 2024 · A comprehensive guide to the Midwest region of the U.S., covering its states, cities, culture, nature, and attractions. Learn about the history, geography, and diversity of the Midwest, also known as "America's Heartland".
Learn about the Midwest, a region of the United States that lies between the Appalachian and Rocky mountains and north of the Ohio River. It includes the states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.
Aug 20, 2018 · The Midwest is also known as the Midwestern United States or the Middle West. It was officially known as the North Central Region by the Census Bureau until 1984. The Midwest is one of the four census regions of the United States the others being, the West, Northeast, and South regions.
