USA before USA

For a good amount of time since the 19th century, US didn't change much of their boundaries. When all the 50 states (excluding Alaska) were organized, the internal borders remained unchanged. Previously, states like Dakota, Virginia and Carolina were divided at various points in the US history. But when we talk about early 18th century when US was still divided into Spanish, French and British colonies, a lot of territorial changes took place.

It was 1607 and 1620 when the British founded its earliest colonies on the American coast - Jamestown in Virginia and Plymouth Bay in Massachusetts. The northeastern region, which is still known as New England, was actually a dominion of territories formed between 1686 to 1689. Colonies of Massachusetts Bay, New Hampshire and Plymouth formed Dominion of New England in 1686. In the next three years, Rhode Island, Connecticut (spelled as Conexticut on certain maps), East Jersey, West Jersey and New York were added later. On older maps, this would be shown neighboring territories such as Acadia, New Scotland (Nova Scotia) which were basically English colonies in Canada.

Pennsylvania was made an English proprietary colony in 1682 and there were a couple of territorial exchanges between Virginia, New York and Connecticut. Till about 1774, today's territories of Western New York, Finger Lakes, Southern Tier and Central New York were part of Pennsylvania (spelled as Pensilvania on some old maps). On even older maps, Pennsylvania is shown with improper and unorganized boundaries.

Between 1674 and 1702, New Jersey was divided into two parts - West Jersey and East Jersey (also mentioned as West New Jersey and East New Jersey on some old maps). The territories would stretch as far as the Capital Region and Mid-Hudson regions of today's New York state.

Maryland (also mentioned at various places as Marylandia) had poorly organized borders before its final shape came in the early 1700s. Maryland had claims over lands in Pennsylvania - from Southwestern Pennsylvania to Dutch Country.

The Carolinas were partitioned in 1712 but if one looks at the older maps, both North and South were pretty much straight parallel lines sketched below Virginia, crossing the southern boundaries and going as far as California in the west (Carolina Charters of 1663 and 1665). The boundaries were later adjusted based on various treaties signed - Proclamation Line of 1763 (which prohibited the Indians to cross the English controlled territories), separation of Georgia in 1732, ceding of western territories to Georgia in 1787, creation of Tennessee in 1796 and slowly giving shapes to what today are North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia.

Virginia was a massive territory with claims extending all the way to Great Lakes (1609 Virginia Charter). At one point of time, the island of Bermuda was also administrated by Virginia (1612-1614). Two major states evolved from Virginia colony - Kentucky (1792) and West Virginia (1863). Post 1784, territories beyond the Ohio (or Fair) River were seceded and new states would be formed later.

Vermont and Maine would be the two other states slicing out of Massachusetts Bay Colony. Under the Dominion of New England, this territory was a Crown Colony between 1686 to 1691. Adding to this in 1691 would be territories of New Scotland (Nova Scotia), Colony of Plymouth, Province of Maine, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket. New Hampshire would separate out in 1679 and Nova Scotia in 1696. As soon as Vermont (also formerly known as New Hampshire Grants) was created in 1777, it entered into an intermediary phase of being known as Vermont Republic till 1791.

It would take another century for the US states to resolve its border issues within themselves and with neighboring territories of New Spain (Mexico), British Canada, Hudson's Bay Company, Nova Scotia etc. The two maps here shows difference between how the northeastern regions were in the early 18th century and how shapes changed to form the 'First Thirteen Colonies', that would later declare independence from the English on 4th July 1776 to form the United States of America.