It  takes effort to visit all fifty of our United States.  Each state is unique and has amazing culture, cuisine, natural wonders, and significant historical value.  (Naturally, Pennsylvania is among the most fabulous.) 

In studying the order in which our states came into the Union, an unraveling of our own early history comes into focus.  Here are our states, in order of their statehoods:

1.  Delaware(1787) – The First State.  Delaware was the first colony to ratify the U.S. Constitution, and by doing so, became the first state.  Its capital city is Dover.

2.  Pennsylvania(1787) – The Keystone State.  Our home state became the second state to ratify the Constitution.  It was also the state where the Declaration of Independence was signed, where the Constitutional Convention was held, and where the Constitution was effectually created.  These national documents wove democracy (actually a Constitutional Republic) into being, the blueprint which many other countries followed.  That is why Pennsylvania is called The Keystone State.  Its capital city is Harrisburg.

3.  New Jersey(1787) – The Garden State.  The third colony to ratify the Constitution, there must have been gardens at one time in this seaside state.  Its capital city is Trenton, where incidentally, a major battle of the American Revolution was fought.

4.  Georgia(1788) – The Peach State.  Many are surprised to know Georgia is our fourth state.  Its capital city is also the state’s largest – Atlanta (the site of a terrible Civil War battle, by the way).

5.  Connecticut(1788) – The Constitution State.  This small New England state may not have been the first to ratify the Constitution, but one of her statesmen, Roger Sherman, was the only Founding Father to sign all four pertinent documents of historic import to help create the United States.  They were the Continental Association (1774) that instituted a trade embargo with Great Britain as the American Revolution began, The Declaration of Independence (1776), The Articles of Confederation (the first attempt at creating a governing document – which failed because it was too vague), and The U.S. Constitution (which is still extant).  Its capital city is Hartford.

6.  Massachusetts(1788) – The Bay State.  Massachusetts had two thriving colonies within its own colonial status before becoming a state.  Its early inhabitants made a living out of the Massachusetts Bay, hence its moniker.  Its capital city is Boston.

7.  Maryland(1788) – The Old Line State.  Maryland, a border state during the Civil War, earned its nickname from the Mason Dixon Line, the state boundary between Pennsylvania and Maryland.  It came to represent the line between a slave state and free state.  Named for Queen Mary (the daughter of James II and wife of William of Orange), Maryland has a varied and rich colonial history.  It was also a state of much unrest during the Civil War.  Its capital city is the beautiful Annapolis.

8.  South Carolina(1788) – The Palmetto State.  Nicknamed for the palmetto tree (shortened to palm tree these days) which grows abundantly throughout the state, South Carolina also boasts a rich colonial history.  With Georgia, the delegates of South Carolina refused to outlaw slavery when the Founders were drawing up the Declaration of Independence.  She was the first state to secede when Abraham Lincoln won the U.S. Presidency in 1860.  Its capital city is Columbia – one of two state capitals named for Christopher Columbus.

9.  New Hampshire(1788) – The Granite State.  Nicknamed for its myriad stores of granite, New Hampshire, named for Hampshire, England (incidentally the native region of famed author Jane Austen), is one of the smaller U.S. States.  Its capital is Concord.

10.  Virginia(1788) – The Old Dominion.  Home to the first successful American colony (named for Queen Elizabeth I – the “Virgin” Queen because she never married), Virginia is a state steeped in United States history, from before the American Revolution through the Civil War and beyond.  Its capital city is Richmond, which served during the Civil War as the capital city of the Confederate States of America.

11.  New York(1788) – The Empire State.  It may seem surprising that New York, home to so many historic places and events during Colonial times, was not among the first of the colonies to seek statehood.  There is no documented explanation for its nickname, but it seems to have come from the days before the American Revolution, when trade excelled throughout New York due to its easily accessible seaport in New York City – making it a true business empire.  Its famous Empire State building, once the world’s tallest structure, was built in 1931.  Its capital city is Albany.

12.  North Carolina(1789) – The Tarheel State.  The site of the Lost Colony, a settlement that strangely vanished in the early days of colonization, North Carolina was the second to last slave state to secede from the Union in 1861, due to the populace’s strong desire to stay true to the Union.  At Gettysburg it was the state which lost the most men in battle.  Its nickname signifies the rich brown earth that covered the heels of countless farmers.  It is also symbolic of a people who dig in their heels for what they believe is right.  Its capital city is Raleigh, named for Sir Walter Raleigh, an explorer and favorite (for a time) of Queen Elizabeth I.

13.  Rhode Island(1790) – The Ocean State.  Our smallest state is also the last of the thirteen original colonies to ratify the Constitution.  While it is not an island, the sea is a significant contributor to the state economy, hence its nickname.  Providence is the capital.

14.  Vermont(1790) – The Green Mountain State.  Nicknamed for the Green Mountains that run through much of this small state, Vermont is the first of the states to enter the Union that was not considered a colony, but an independent republic before the American Revolution.  Its capital city is Montpelier.

15.  Kentucky(1792) – The Bluegrass State.  The sobriquet originates from the beautiful forests and grass that appears almost aquamarine in its greenery.  Land grants after the American Revolution to many veterans of the Continental Army brought many settlers westward to what was then wild and unsettled property.  Kentucky was the birthplace of both Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis.  Its capital city is Frankfort.

16.  Tennessee(1796) – The Volunteer State.  It is so named because as a fairly new state during the War of 1812, Tennessee sent over one thousand soldiers to help fight that war. Tennessee was the last state to secede to the South during the Civil War.  Its capital city is Nashville.

17.  Ohio(1803) – The Buckeye State.  Considered part of the Northwest Territory after the American Revolution, the name “Ohio” means “beautiful river”, and its eponymous river was so named by the tribes who inhabited the area long before those of European descent arrived.  Its first capital, Marietta, was named for the French monarach Marie Antoinette.  Its current capital is Columbus, after Christopher Columbus – a similarity shared with South Carolina.  Ohio is called “the Buckeye State” after the multitudinous Buckeye trees in this lovely green state.

18.  Louisiana(1812) – The Pelican State.  Part of the Louisiana Purchase made by President Thomas Jefferson in 1803 from a beleaguered and war-torn France, Louisiana (named for King Louis XIV by explorer LaSalle in 1682) is nicknamed The Pelican State – for the plenitude of those oceanic birds found on her shores.  Its capital, Baton Rouge, means “Red Stick” in French.

19.  Indiana(1816) – The Hoosier State.  A new state when Abraham Lincoln and his family moved there in 1816, Indiana, which is now mostly prairie, was deeply wooded as well in the early 19th century.  Its sobriquet, “hoosier”, originates from an early Native American word for corn.  Its capital is Indianapolis.

20.  Mississippi(1817) – The Magnolia State.  Nicknamed for the luxurious flowering tree that is so plentiful in this deeply Southern state, Mississippi is, like Ohio, named for the river that traverses its western border.  The name Mississippi means “great river”.  Mississippi is one of four states whose capital city is named for an American President.  Mississippi’s capital city is Jackson, after Andrew Jackson.

21.  Illinois(1818) – The Land of Lincoln.  Although Abraham Lincoln was born in Kentucky and lived much of his youth in Indiana, it was as an adult that he chose to make Illinois his permanent residence – until he moved to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.  Had he survived the Presidency, Lincoln planned to return to Illinois and resume his law practice on the corner opposite the State Capitol in Springfield.  Lincoln was one of many who rallied the state to choose Springfield as its capital.

22.  Alabama(1819) – The Heart of Dixie.  Although Richmond, Virginia served as the capital of the Confederacy for most of the Civil War, the first Confederate capital was Alabama’s capital city, Montgomery.  For this reason, Alabama truly was and remains the heart of Dixie.

  23.  Maine(1820) – The Pine Tree State.  Although Maine is the 23rd state to enter the Union, it was explored and partially settled in the early 1600s by Captain John Smith,  before the Pilgrims settled in Plymouth, Massachusetts.  Named for the plentiful pine trees that grow in this beautiful but rugged state, Maine was the subject of contention when it became a state in 1820, prompting Henry Clay to suggest the admission of a southern state to balance the power between slave and free states in Congress.  The result was the admission of Missouri, and its admittance was called “The Missouri Compromise.”  Maine’s capital city is Augusta.

24.  Missouri(1820) – The Show Me State.  One of the border states during the Civil War, Missouri was an area of much unrest from the inception of its statehood.  Missourians are considered an astute group who aren’t easily fooled – the reason for its moniker.  Its capital, Jefferson City, is also named for a U.S. President – Thomas Jefferson – who still lived when Missouri became a state.

25.  Arkansas(1836) – The Natural State.  Sixteen years had passed since the admittance of Missouri when Arkansas became the 25th state to join the Union as a slave state.  Its natural beauty with many forests, large rock outcroppings and natural springs give Arkansas its sobriquet.  Until recently it was against the law to mispronounce its name (the final “s” is silent and should be pronounced Ark-an-saw, with the accent on the first syllable).  Its capital city is Little Rock.

26.  Michigan(1837) – The Great Lake State.  Four of the five Great Lakes (Lake Ontario is the exception) form most of Michigan’s unusual border.  As part of the Northwest Territory after the American Revolution, Michigan retained its primeval quality many years after Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana were settled.  It was admitted to the nation to counterbalance the state of Arkansas.  Its capital city is Lansing.

27.  Florida(1845) – The Sunshine State.  Discovered and settled by the Spanish in the sixteenth century, Florida was, unusually, considered part of the Louisiana Purchase.  Its oldest city, St. Augustine, is considered the oldest city in the United States.  Florida earned its nickname for obvious reasons.  A slave state, Florida was, during the Civil War, part of the Confederacy.  Its capital city is Tallahassee, located on its panhandle.

28.  Texas(1845) – The Lone Star State.  Considered an independent republic (hence the lone star on its otherwise blue state flag), the admission of Texas into the United States was part of the reason for the war with Mexico.  Abraham Lincoln was a vocal opponent of the war and the admission of Texas as a slave state.  Its capital is Austin.

29.  Iowa(1846) – The Hawkeye State.  Admitted to the nation to counterbalance Florida, Iowa earned its moniker for Black Hawk, the great Native American chieftain.  Settled in part by French explorers, its capital Des Moines, is French for “the monks”.  However, explorers named it for the Des Moines River that flows through the city, which was named by indigenous people, from whom the word “moin” means “path”, which rivers certainly were in those days.

30.  Wisconsin(1848) – The Badger State.  Wisconsin, also part of the Northwest Territory, was still largely unsettled due to its deep forests and rough winters by the time it became a state to offset the admittance years before of Texas.  It is one of several states who derive their nicknames from woodland creatures.  Its capital, Madison, is named for President James Madison, the Father of the Constitution, and last surviving Founding Father, who died a decade earlier.

31.  California(1850) – The Golden State.  Named for the Gold Rush that brought many to its borders, California was the state that caused an uproar among Southern Democrats when it was admitted to the Union without any Southern state to counterbalance it.  A compromise was reached with the passage of The Fugitive Slave Act , forcing officials and citizens of free states to return any escaped slaves from their borders to their taskmasters.  Until the admittance of California, there were thirty states, half free and half slave.  Its capital city is Sacramento, which is Spanish for “sacrament”.  California is our most populated state.

32.  Minnesota(1858) – The North Star State.  Admitted to the Union in 1858, Minnesota offered the first Union regiment – the First Minnesota Infantry – to answer Abraham Lincoln’s call for troops after the secession of eleven Southern states.  The First Minnesota fought at Gettysburg, and none of the men in those ranks had been born in Minnesota, proof of its late settlement.  Its capital, St. Paul, is separated from its twin city, Minneapolis, by the Mississippi River. 

33.  Oregon(1859) – The Beaver State.  Part of the beautiful Northwest, Oregon was the place where Lewis and Clark ended their expedition, traveling the Columbia River to the Pacific Ocean.  Its capital city is Salem.

34.  Kansas(1861) – The Sunflower State.  Earning its moniker from the numerous sunflowers easily grown along the prairie, the admittance of Kansas as a state sparked great unrest, as four Union states had been admitted with no slave states to balance the power in Washington.  James Buchanan, the President at the time, with the agreement of Congress, decided the people of Kansas should decide on its pro- or anti-slavery status.  As a result, hordes of both sides poured into the state, with deadly consequences.  “Bleeding Kansas” was its nickname for the time.  Kansas was the last state to be admitted before the onset of the Civil War.  Its capital is Topeka.

35.  West Virginia(1863) – The Mountain State.  Many devoted Unionists from the western regions of Virginia decided in the middle of the Civil War to secede from Virginia and form their own state in June 1863 – just days before the Battle of Gettysburg.  It is an interesting irony that the leaders of the Confederacy, which went to war over the right to secede, were furious at the secession of West Virginia, considering its act to join the Union unlawful.  With the addition of many western states, with much higher and rugged mountains, after the Civil War, West Virginia is nevertheless rather mountainous, the reason for its sobriquet.  Its capital city is Charleston.

36.  Nevada(1864) – The Silver State.  A neighbor to California, the Golden State, Nevada, which means “snowy” in Spanish, is rich in silver mines.  Admitted to the Union while war still continued, its admittance showed a positive look to the future.  Its capital is Carson City, named for explorer Kit Carson.

37.  Nebraska(1867) – The Cornhusker State.  The first state admitted to the Union after the Civil War, Nebraska is known for its plentiful corn crop.  Its capital, Lincoln, is named for President Abraham Lincoln.

38.  Colorado(1876) – The Centennial State.  Admitted to the Union in the centennial year of our nation’s birth, Colorado (which is Spanish for “red” or "ruddy") boasts red earth nestled below the peaks of the Rocky Mountains.  Its capital is Denver, the “mile high” city.

39.  North Dakota(1889) – The Peace Garden State.  Established after the war, in many areas by Civil War veterans, North Dakota wanted to ensure that peace was part of its moniker.  Its capital city is Bismarck.

40.  South Dakota(1889) – The Mount Rushmore State.  Like North Dakota, South Dakota was settled by many Civil War veterans who went west after the war (much like the veterans of the Continental Army after the American Revolution).  Its nickname comes from the great monument to four U.S. Presidents in its beautiful Black Hills (the monument is found near the town of Keystone – one of several connections to the Keystone State of Pennsylvania).  Its capital city is Pierre.  Another South Dakota town also deserves mention: one situated near the North Dakota border.  It was founded by Civil War veterans, and named for an unforgettable battle in which many of them participated: Gettysburg.

41.  Montana(1889) – The Treasure State.  Many Civil War veterans, including Confederate scout Henry Harrison – who warned Generals Lee and Longstreet about the proximity of the Union forces near Gettysburg – headed to the territory of Montana after the war.  Its capital city is Helena, winning against six other towns for that distinction five years after statehood, in 1894.

42.  Washington(1889) – The Evergreen State.  The fourth territory to become a state in 1889, Washington, named after the nation’s first President, is indeed an evergreen state with its plentiful trees.  Its capital city is Olympia, named for the nearby peninsula of the same name.

43.  Idaho(1890) – The Gem State.  A diverse state, with a semi-arid region to the south and beautifully mountainous landscape to the north, Idaho was the first of two states to come into the Union in 1890.  Its capital city is also its largest: Boise, which means in French, “wooded” or “the city of trees.”

44.  Wyoming(1890) – The Equality State.  The second state to enter the Union in 1890, Wyoming is the least populous state, with about a half-million inhabitants.  It lends its title of equality to the fact that Wyoming was the first state to recognize the rights of women.  Its capital is Cheyenne.

45.  Utah(1896) – The Beehive State.  Utah is home to many national parks.  It earned its nickname from an ancient definition of bees – which were called deseret.  The beehive is also a symbol of industry.  Its capital city is Salt Lake City, named for the enormous Great Salt Lake within a short distance of the town.  Salt Lake City is the only state capital with three words.

46.  Oklahoma(1907) – The Sooner State.  When President Benjamin Harrison offered land to anyone who wanted to claim it after noon on April 22, 1889, settlers waited at the border for what was then Oklahoma territory.  Some people entered before the allotted time, and were called “sooners”.   The connotation, meant to be an aspersion, lost its negativity when Oklahoma became a state in 1907.  Its capital is Oklahoma City.

47.  New Mexico(1912) – The Land of Enchantment.  New Mexico is desolate to the south with rugged, beautiful mountains with a resort-like ambience to the north.  Settled by Spain in the 1500s, its capital is Santa Fe, Spanish for “holy faith”.

48.  Arizona(1912) – The Grand Canyon State.  Rightfully nicknamed for its greatest natural wonder, Arizona is a heavily populated state in spite of its arid nature.  Its capital city is also its largest: Phoenix, appropriately named as it appears to rise out of the ashes.

49.  Alaska(1959) – The Last Frontier.  The largest state in size, Alaska became the United States’ possession in 1867, purchased from Russia by Lincoln’s former Secretary of State (who still served in that office under Andrew Johnson).  Mocked for the purchase, William H. Seward's supposed folly is one of the most beautiful states.  There is a seaside city, Seward, named for him.  Alaska became a state during the second term of the Eisenhower Administration.  Its capital city is Juneau.

50.  Hawaii(1959) – The Aloha State.  The most isolated archipelago in the world, over two thousand miles from the American mainland, Hawaii became our fiftieth state under the Eisenhower Administration.  Pearl Harbor, on the island of Oahu, brought the United States into World War II with the Japanese attack eighty years ago.  Its capital is Honolulu on the same island.

After Hawaii became the last state, President Eisenhower was presented with the first 50-star flag.  He donated it to his church in Gettysburg, the Presbyterian Church on Baltimore Street – where it remains today.

Sources:  American National Biography .  American Council of Learned Societies.  New York: 1999.  Grant, Neil.  Kings & Queens: An Illustrated Guide to British Monarchs .  New York: HarperCollins, 1996.  Grun, Bernard.  The Timetables of History .  New York: Simon & Schuster, 1991.  The New Webster’s Dictionary and Thesaurus of the English Language .  New York: Lexicon Publications, 1991.   Additional information from Gettysburg National Military park, and by the author’s visits to the fifty states.