March 15, 1820 Maine Becomes a State

The state of Maine has an interesting history. Maine was settled by both the French and the English. This caused many problems until control of the area was taken by the English after the French and Indian War. The first naval battle of the Revolutionary War was fought off the coast of Maine. The area that is now Maine was once part of the colony of Massachusetts. It was considered a province of Massachusetts until demands for statehood resulted in Maine being admitted to the Union in 1820 as part of the Missouri Compromise. It was the twenty-third state admitted to the Union and ranks 39th in size. Today, Maine is famous for its blueberries and lobster and also produces a large amount of apples, potatoes, vegetables, and dairy products. Many famous people are from Maine, including Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Joshua Chamberlain, Nelson Rockefeller, Rufus King, Oliver Otis Howard, Hannibal Hamlin, Melville Fuller, and Thomas B. Reed.

Look at the map of Maine below. Label the capital of Maine. Locate the cities of Scarborough, Lewiston, Saco, Portland, Bangor, Auburn, Brownville, Monson, Kittery, Caribou, Bingham, Greenville, Old Town, Waterville, Belfast, Brunswick, Bath, Boothbay Harbor, Monticello, Danforth, Eastport, Kennebunkport, Farmington, Rumford, and South Paris, and label them on the map. Now label the Appalachian Mountains, White Mountains, Longfellow Mountains, Mount Katahdin, and Cadillac Mountain. Also, locate the St. John River, Androscoggin River, Aroostook River, Saco River, Kennebec River, Penobscot River, St. Croix River, Sebago Lake, Moosehead Lake, Brassua Lake, Square Lake, Grand Lake, and Nicatous Lake, and label them. Lastly, label the states or bodies of water that border Maine. When you have finished, move on to the timeline of Maine history on the next page and the research prompts that follow.

1524

1604

1622

1623

1652

1761

1775

1794

1820

1839

1851

1860

1866

1888

1931

1968

1980

1997

1998

2010

2. Maine native, William Cohen, becomes Secretary of Defense

3. Bowdoin College is established

4. Harriet Beecher Stowe begins writing her novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin in Maine

5. Sir Ferdinando Gorges is the first person to name the territory “Maine”

6. The Ice Storm, the worst natural disaster in Maine, hits during the beginning of January

7. Percival Baxter begins buying the land that would eventually become Baxter State Park

8. The first “pile bridge” in North America is built in Maine

9. A fire burns a great deal of downtown Portland, Maine

10. Hannibal Hamlin, a native of Maine, is chosen as Abraham Lincoln’s vice president

11. Giovanni da Verrazzano is the first European known to explore the coast of Maine

12. Maine native, Edmund Muskie, becomes Secretary of State

13. Maine becomes a state

14. At the start of the Revolutionary War, the first naval battle is fought off the coast of Maine

15. The University of Maine is established

16. The French establish the first known European colony in Maine

17. The last sardine cannery in the United States closes in Prospect Harbor

18. The Governor of Maine declares war on England because of a boundary dispute, but it is settled peacefully

19. Melville W. Fuller, a native of Maine, is named Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court

20. The colony of Massachusetts takes the territory of Maine as a part of its colony

Research the War of the Aroostook. When did it occur? What was the war about? Who was the war with? What general was involved on the side of the United States? How was the war settled?

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What was the temperance movement? How was “The Maine Law” associated with the temperance movement? When was this law enacted? Who was the primary leader (known in many countries as the “Father of Prohibition”) behind this movement in Maine? When was “The Maine Law” repealed?

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Research the type of ship called the “Down-Easter.” What type of ship was it built to compete with for use in trade and business? What were some of the differences between the two types of ships? What advantages did these differences give the “Down-Easter”?

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Giovanni da Verrazzano is the first European known to explore the coast of Maine 1524 The French establish the first known 1604 European colony in Maine Sir Ferdinando Gorges is the first person to name the territory “Maine” 1622 The first English sawmill in America is 1623 started in Maine The colony of Massachusetts takes the territory of Maine as a part of its colony 1652 The first “pile bridge” in North 1761 America is built in Maine At the start of the Revolutionary War, the first naval battle is fought off the coast of Maine 1775

1794 Bowdoin College is established

Maine becomes a state 1820 The Governor of Maine declares war on England because of a boundary dispute, 1839 but it is settled peacefully Harriet Beecher Stowe begins writing her novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin in Maine 1851 Hannibal Hamlin, a native of Maine, is chosen 1860 as Abraham Lincoln’s vice president A fire burns a great deal of downtown Portland, Maine 1866 Melville W. Fuller, a native of Maine, is named Chief Justice of the United States Supreme 1888 Court Percival Baxter begins buying the land that would eventually become Baxter State Park 1931

1968 The University of Maine is established Maine native, Edmund Muskie, becomes Secretary of State 1980 Maine native, William Cohen, becomes 1997 Secretary of Defense The Ice Storm, the worst natural disaster in Maine, hits during the beginning of January 1998 The last sardine cannery in the United 2010 States closes in Prospect Harbor, ©2015 Bonnie Rose Hudson WriteBonnieRose.com