How Many States in the US?

How many states in the US? Since August 21, 1959, the answer to this question is 50. From December 7, 1787 to August 21,1959, the number of states grew, diminished during the Civil War, and then grew again.

A good place to start is at the beginning of the country. When the Revolutionary War ended in 1783, the 13 colonies had achieved independence from England. At that point, much work was needed to establish a government so the Second Continental Congress drafted the Articles of Confederation. These articles were ratified, or approved, in 1781 and were the country’s first constitution. However, the articles needed some work, so the Constitutional Convention met in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to amend the Articles of Confederation. The United States Constitution was adopted on September 17, 1787.

At that point, the number of states grew quickly, starting with Delaware, which became a state on December 7, 1787. By the end of 1787, the states of Pennsylvania and New Jersey were added, making the total three. By July of 1788, the total was 11, with the addition of Georgia, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, South Carolina, New Hampshire, Virginia, and New York. North Carolina and Rhode Island became states by May 29, 1790. So the answer to the question, “How many states in the US?” on May 29, 1790, would have been 13.

For the next 70 years, the number of states grew more slowly, and by January 29, 1861, the number of states admitted to the Union had grown to 34. Here is the list of states that entered during this time with the date that they were proclaimed a state:

• Vermont March 4, 1791
• Kentucky June 1, 1792
• Tennessee June 1, 1796
• Ohio March 1, 1803
• Louisiana April 30, 1812
• Indiana December 11, 1816
• Mississippi December 10, 1817
• Illinois December 3, 1818
• Alabama December 14, 1819
• Maine March 15, 1820
• Missouri August 10, 1821

To continue, starting in the 1830s were:

• Arkansas June 15, 1836
• Michigan January 26, 1837
• Florida March 3, 1845
• Texas December 29, 1845
• Iowa December 28, 1846
• Wisconsin May 29, 1848
• California September 9, 1850
• Minnesota May 11, 1858
• Oregon February 14, 1859
• Kansas January 29, 1861 

The Civil War

The Civil War was fought between 1861 and 1865 and during that time, eleven states declared secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America. These states were:

• South Carolina
• Mississippi
• Florida
• Alabama
• Georgia
• Louisiana
• Texas

Within two months, four more states joined the Confederacy:

• Virginia
• Arkansas
• North Carolina
• Tennessee 

In 1863, part of the state of Virginia broke off and became West Virginia and joined the Union. Also during the war, Nevado joined the Union, and the states of  Tennessee and Louisiana were returned to Union control. So, if during the latter years of the war, you asked the question, “How many states in the US?” the answer would have been 27. After the war, you would have been told that there were 36.

To sum up, the total was 34 in 1861, and with the addition of Nevada and West Virginia, the total was 36 after the Civil War. Nebraska was the first state to join the union after the war and by 1912, 11 more states had joined, bringing the total to 48. Alaska and Hawaii joined in 1959, so from August 21, 1959 to the present day, there are 50 states in the United States.  

How Does a Territory Become a State?

For most of the 1800s and the first part of the 1900s, the United States started expanding west of the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean. This was called the Westward Expansion, and the US acquired several territories that later became states. Territories had to have sufficient population and an organized government before they were admitted into the US.

When a territory deemed it was ready to become a state, it would petition Congress to be admitted to statehood. Then a state constitution would be drafted, and it would be approved by the people. The state’s constitution would then be submitted to Congress for approval. When Congress approved it, then they would proclaim that state to be a member of the US.