Capitals of the Eastern USA Trivia Quiz

Answer:

There is an interesting history associated with picking a city to be a state's capital.

Originally the largest city in Maine, Portland, was the capital until 1832 when the legislature changed it to Augusta. The legislature stated they wanted a capital more central in the state.

In 1819, New Hampshire had a similar reason for picking Concord as their capital with its central location. The Concord State House was built in 1818 and is the longest continually used state house in the US.

Montpelier was chosen in 1805 to be the capital of Vermont as it was not associated with either side of the Green Mountains. Interestingly, Montpelier's 2020 population is only about 7,500 people making it the least populated capital in the USA.

The capital city of Boston, Massachusetts has a rich history going back to 1630. During the Revolutionary War, most of the colonies moved their capitals more inland. Boston however, stayed the capital and as a result, is the only US capital on the Atlantic Ocean.

Providence, Rhode Island did not become an official capital until 1900! Before then governing was split up between several cities. Of course, given Rhode Island's tiny size, most locations in the state would have worked!

Hartford became the sole capital of Connecticut in 1875. Until this point, the general assembly would meet in Hartford in May and New Haven in October. When it was decided that both capitals needed repairs and expansions, the assembly decided it was time to have only one capital. Hartford was chosen based on the city offering land and money to build a new statehouse.

One might expect that since New York City is so large it would be the capital of New York, however, this is not the case. During the Revolutionary War, the New York government moved its capital inland to Kingston on the Hudson River. The British were able to reach and burn Kingston, encouraging the New York capital to move even further inland. Finally, in 1797, Albany became the official capital of the state of New York.

The legislature of New Jersey made Trenton their capital in 1790. The biggest deciding factor in picking Trenton is it being halfway between New York City and Philadelphia. It is also located on the Delaware River allowing for easier trade.

Originally, Philadelphia was the capital of Pennsylvania until the Federal Government was temporarily moved there in 1799. When that happened, Lancaster became the capital until 1812. Harrisburg was finally settled on as the capital of the state in 1812 due to its central location on the Susquehanna River.

In 1777, since New Castle was in the path of the Revolutionary War, Dover became the capital in hiding. In 1781, Dover became the official capital helped by being centrally located in the state. The Delaware legislature took only 5 days at the Golden Fleece Tavern in Dover to be the first state to ratify the Constitution of the United States, forever making Delaware the first state!

Despite Baltimore's larger modern size, Annapolis became the capital of Maryland in 1694. The National capital of the US was held in Annapolis from 1783-1784 during which George Washington relinquished his commission as commander of the Continental Army.

West Virginia broke off from Virginia in 1863 during the Civil War to stay in the United States. At the time Wheeling, on the border with Ohio, was the largest city and the initial government seat. The state legislature wanted the more centrally located Charleston to become the capital but it was not until 1877 that a permanent government was created there.

In 1779, Richmond replaced Williamsburg as the capital of Virginia as a safer place from the British. Thomas Jefferson designed the original capital building in 1785. During the Civil War, Richmond became the capital of the Confederacy in 1862.

The North Carolina seat of government moved from New Bern to Raleigh in 1792. The legislature wanted a central location and a thousand acres of land were bought for the new capital. Growth of the city was slow because it was not built on a river adding the challenge of this basic necessity.

Originally Charleston was the capital of South Carolina, but it was moved to the more central Columbia in 1786. The Low Country by the coast had large plantations and old money while the Up Country had small cotton farms, so picking a central capital was a way of creating peace between the two different groups.

Georgia's state capital has moved several times since becoming part of the United States. Savannah was the colonial capital, but due to British occupation, the government went into hiding in Augusta. Over the next 80 years the capital moved closer to the population center as lands were obtained from the Native Americans. Louisville, Milledgeville, and Macon all served as the capital before Atlanta was finally settled as the capital in 1868. Atlanta's huge drawing point was being the southern terminus of the American railroad system making it the most important commercial center during Civil War reconstruction.

In 1821 Florida was obtained from Spain, and three years later Tallahassee was selected as the capital of the territory. Before this time the government would alternate between the two largest cities of Saint Augustine and Pensacola. However, between the two cities was a dangerous 20-day horse ride through alligator-infested swamps! The first state house in Tallahassee was a small log cabin built in 1824. Florida became a US state in 1845.

When Alabama was established as a territory in 1817, St. Stephens served as the capital until 1819. Huntsville was the site of the state's Constitutional Convention and became a temporary capital until 1820. For the next six years Cahawba served as a capital until the legislature selected Tuscaloosa to be the capital in 1826. Due to growth in the southeastern region of Alabama, the legislature decided one final time to move the capital to Montgomery to be more centrally located to the population of the time.

When Tennessee first became a state in 1796 Knoxville was the state capital. Over the next 30 years the capital rotated around including a one day capital at Kingston on September 21, 1807! The legislatures convened and passed one piece of legislation...and never returned to Kingston. For several years between 1818 and 1826 Murfreesborough served before Nashville had a turn. Due to the higher quality roads and water supply, as well as being home to the state jail, Nashville ultimately became the official capital in 1843.

Frankfort on the Kentucky River has been the capital of Kentucky since 1792. Both Louisville and Lexingon tried to make a bid to be capital, but the more centrally located Frankfort never lost its role. According to census data, Frankfort had 628 residents in 1800. It is hard to remember at times how small these seats of power once were.

Chillicothe was the capital of the Ohio territory in 1803 when the legislature petitioned for statehood. In 1810 the capital temporarily moved to Zanesville before moving back to Chillicothe in 1811. In 1816, the capital was moved one last time to Columbus to be centrally located in the state. The name Columbus was chosen to honor Christopher Columbus.

When Michigan became a state in 1837, Detroit was its first capital. In 1847 the decision was made to move the capital away from the Canadian border to Lansing. This served two purposes with the first being to help develop the interior of Michigan. The second was to put space between the capital and the British troops on the other side of the Detroit River. Interestingly, while in the process of applying for statehood, the Michigan government was in a fight with the Ohio government over claiming the city of Toledo. A compromise was made when Michigan agreed to take the upper peninsula instead.

Corydon served as Indiana's first capital starting in 1813. The city is on the southern border of the state on the Ohio River. In 1825, after the Delaware Native Americans were removed from the middle of the state the capital was moved there in the newly formed city of Indianapolis. Originally the White River was thought to be an artery for transport but it was not deep enough. Indianapolis soon became a major hub for the Union Railway in 1850.

When Mississippi became a state in 1817, the town of Natchez on the Mississippi River was the seat of government. The legislature decided to move the state government to Jackson in 1821 as the meeting point of the Pearl River and the Natchez Trace. The town of Jackson was named for the 1812 War hero Andrew Jackson who would become president of the United States in 1828.

Not surprisingly, New Orleans was the original capital of Louisiana going back to Spanish and French control. As Louisiana was petitioning for statehood in 1845, one of the major clauses was that the capital must be at least 60 miles away from New Orleans to reduce the concentration of power. Baton Rouge on the Mississippi River was chosen and still serves as the capital today. Interestingly, the capitol building in Baton Rouge is 34 stories high and is the tallest capitol building in the US.