The
Mid-Atlantic States (also called
Middle Atlantic States or simply the
Mid Atlantic) form a region of the
United States generally located between
New England and the
South. Its exact definition differs upon source, but the region often includes
Delaware,
Maryland,
New Jersey,
New York,
Pennsylvania,
Washington D.C., and sometimes
Virginia and
West Virginia.
The Mid-Atlantic has played an important role in the development of American
culture,
commerce,
trade, and
industry, yet it is one of the least self-conscious of American regions. It has been called "the typically American" region by
Frederick Jackson Turner. Religious pluralism and ethnic diversity have been important elements of Mid-Atlantic society from its settlement by
Dutch,
Swedes,
English Catholics and
Quakers through to the period of English rule and beyond. After the
American Revolution, the Mid-Atlantic hosted each of the
historic capitals of the United States, including the current federal capital,
Washington D.C.In the early part of the nineteenth century,
New York and
Pennsylvania overtook
Virginia as the most populated states and the
New England states as the country's most important trading and industrial centers. Large numbers of
German,
Irish,
Italian,
Jewish,
Polish and other
immigrants transformed the region, especially coastal cities like
New York City,
Philadelphia and
Baltimore, but also interior cities like
Pittsburgh and
Buffalo.
New York City, with its skyscrapers, subways and
headquarters of the United Nations, emerged in the twentieth century as an icon of
modernity and American economic and cultural power. It would suffer the brunt of the
September 11 attacks, along with two other Mid-Atlantic cities,
Arlington, Virginia and
Shanksville, Pennsylvania. By the
twenty-first century, the coastal areas of the Mid-Atlantic were thoroughly urbanized. The
Northeast Corridor and
Interstate 95 linked an almost contiguous sprawl of
suburbs and large and small cities, forming the Mid-Atlantic portion of the
northeast megalopolis, one of the world's most important concentrations of
finance,
media, communications,
education, medicine, and technology. Waves of
Chinese,
Indian,
Mexican,
Russian,
Dominican,
Jamaican,
Filipino,
Pakistani,
Salvadoran and other immigrants are further transforming the Mid-Atlantic economy and culture.
The Mid-Atlantic is a relatively affluent region of the nation, having 43 of the 100
highest-income counties in the nation based on
median household income and 33 of the top 100 based on
per capita income. Most of the Mid-Atlantic states rank among the 15
highest-income states in the nation by median household income and per capita income.
Defining the Mid-Atlantic
There are differing interpretations as to the actual composition of the Mid-Atlantic. Sometimes, the nucleus is considered to consist of
Maryland,
Delaware, and
Virginia, with additional states possibly included. Other sources consider
New York,
Pennsylvania, and
New Jersey to be the core Mid-Atlantic states, with others sometimes included. For example, since the
1910 census, the Mid-Atlantic Census Division has included New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania, which combined with the New England Division, comprised the Northeast Census Region.
The 'Typically American' region
thumb|250px|right|An 1897 map displays an inclusive definition of the Mid-Atlantic region, including Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia.Frederick Jackson Turner wrote in 1893 about the important role the Mid-Atlantic or "Middle region" had played in the formation of the national American culture, and defined it as "the typical American region".
History
right|thumb|300px| [[Intermodal container|Shipping containers at
Port Newark-Elizabeth Marine Terminal, part of
Port of New York and New Jersey. Shipping and trade have been important to the Mid-Atlantic economy since the colonial era.]]
From early colonial times, the Mid-Atlantic region was settled by a wider range of European people than in New England or the South. The
New Netherland settlement along the Hudson River in New York and New Jersey, and for a time
New Sweden along the Delaware River in Delaware, divided the two great bulwarks of English settlement from each other. The original English settlements in the region notably provided refuge to religious minorities, Maryland to
Roman Catholics, and Pennsylvania to
Quakers and the mostly
Anabaptist Pennsylvania Dutch. In time, all these settlements fell under English control, but the region continued to be a magnet for people of diverse nationalities.
The area that came to be known as the
Middle Colonies served as a strategic bridge between the North and South.
Philadelphia, midway between the northern and southern colonies, was home to the
Continental Congress, the convention of delegates that organized the
American Revolution. The same city was the birthplace of the
Declaration of Independence in 1776 and the
United States Constitution in 1787.
While early settlers were mostly farmers, traders and fishermen, the Mid-Atlantic states provided the young United States with
heavy industry and served as the "
melting pot" of new
immigrants from Europe. Cities grew along major shipping routes and waterways. Such flourishing cities included
New York City on the
Hudson River,
Philadelphia on the
Delaware River and
Baltimore on the
Chesapeake Bay.
Cities and Urban Areas
thumb|right|200px|New York Citythumb|right|200px|Philadelphiathumb|right|200px|Baltimorethumb|right|200px|Washington D.C.Combined Statistical Areas
Combined Statistical Areas with more than 1,000,000 people:
Large Cities
Cities with more than 200,000 people:
State Capitals
See also
