Regions of the United States PDF

Understanding the Place Lecture #2: Regions of the United States Moodle key: fcbe33  Definitions Rust belt*: the region of the United States (Northeast and Midwest) where deindustrialization resulted in the closing of most factories, population loss and urba...

Understanding the Place Lecture #2: Regions of the United States Moodle key: fcbe33  Definitions Rust belt*: the region of the United States (Northeast and Midwest) where deindustrialization resulted in the closing of most factories, population loss and urban decay Sun belt*: the southeast and southwest parts of the United States(warm and sunny) which have been experiencing rapid population and economic growth American Civil War: four-year war (1861–65) fought between the United States and 11 Southern states that seceded to form the Confederate States of America. (Britannica) Reconstruction: period following the Civil War (1865-1877) during which measures were adopted to readmit the southern states into the Union and to provide equal citizenship rights to former slaves  The U.S. Census Bureau divides the country into 4 main regions The Northeast The South The Midwest The West Other main regional division of the country  The Northeast can further be divided between New England and the Middle- Atlantic New England is especially important because of its historical significance The Great Puritan migration in the Massachusetts Bay colony influenced the region and, later, the country at large Puritans’ belief in their divine mission to establish a model society in God’s glory (“city upon a hill”) evolved into a concept called “American exceptionalism” The Puritan (or Protestant) work ethic (working at fulfilling one’s calling / divine mission) is also believed to have led to Americans’ emphasis on hard work The region is also known for its role in the founding of the nation (Massachusetts, Pennsylvania)  New England is also famous for its quality institutions of higher education and research (IVY League) Columbia University, New York (NY) Harvard University, Cambridge (MS) Princeton University, Princeton (NJ) HARVARD UNIVERSITY Yale University, New Haven (CT)… The District of Columbia (Washington D.C.) gives the region its political significance Capital of the U.S. Seat of the federal government THE CAPITOL  Between the late 19th and the mid- 20th centuries, the Northeast was the industrial and commercial center of the nation (along with big cities of the Great Lakes in the Midwest) New York stood out as the nation’s largest and wealthiest city Because of its economic history, the region is highly populated and urbanized Is characterized by its racial and ethnic diversity (urban migration, immigration)  In the second half of the 20th century, the “industrial belt” was transformed into “the rust belt”* Deindustrialization (migration of heavy industry abroad) Migration of high-tech industries (South and West) As a result, the region has diversified its economy and shifted to service-based sectors like healthcare, education and technology THE RUST BELT  The South is a region formed by states which constituted the “slave south” until the abolition of slavery after the Civil War The South is sometimes divided into two subregions: The Upper South: involved in the plantation economy but had a more diverse economy than the lower South The Lower (or Deep) south: heavily reliant on the plantation economy, especially the cultivation of cotton  The institution of slavery, the Civil War, Reconstruction* and the civil rights movement have shaped southern identity Rigid racial hierarchy and social order The “Lost Cause” narrative presented the Confederates as both heroes and victims Conservative (Republican) stronghold Although the South started industrializing after the Civil War, its economy largely remained agrarian-based until the mid- 20th century Since WWII, the southern economy has been diversifying and the region has become part of the “sun belt” Defense, financial, high-tech, media and service industries Manufacturing plants  The Midwest is often referred to as the “Corn Belt” or “American Breadbasket” because of its major role in agricultural production (major producer of corn, soybean, wheat, dairy and livestock) The Midwest is divided into two sub-regions East North Central: the industrial Midwest Hub of the steel, food processing, meatpacking, agricultural and industrial machinery industries in the late 19th and 20th centuries Hub of the automobile industry in the 20th century Has diversified its economy as a result of deindustrialization Also counts large farming areas West North Central: the agricultural Midwest Small, family farms Agribusinesses  In the American collective imagination, the Midwest is an agricultural region dominated by family farms and small towns Despite being a politically conservative region, the Midwest was: the birthplace of the Republican Party, which opposed the expansion of slavery and nominated Abraham Lincoln (Illinois) for the presidency The center of political movements seeking to protect agricultural producers in an economy dominated by the Northeast and to make American governments more honest and democratic  In the American collective consciousness, the “West” is synonymous with possibility, freedom and self-reliance The West is divided into the Mountain West (Rocky Mountains) and the Pacific West In the other main regional division of the country, Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Arizona (forming the Southwest) are separate from the South and the West As they were formally part of Mexico and they share a border with it, the region is home to particularly strong Hispanic and Native American communities The Southwestern economy mostly relies on: Cattle and sheep-ranching (also characteristic of the Mountain West’s economy), as well as farming The electronics and aerospace industries (also found in the Pacific West and Mountain West) The mining and petroleum industries (also in the Mountain West) Tourism (shared characteristic with the rest of the West, home to most of the U.S.’s national parks)  The Pacific coast attracted many people as early as the mid-19th century as a result of the discovery of gold and the following gold rush (1848-1855) in California Today, San Francisco is the hub of a larger area (known as the bay area) which notably includes Berkeley (U.C. Berkeley) U.C. Berkeley: prestigious university known for its progressive thinking and activism Silicon Valley Global center of technology and Apple Park, Silicon Valley innovation (Apple, Facebook (Meta), (California) Google)  The Los Angeles metropolis is the second major urban area in California and it is especially known for The entertainment industry (Hollywood) Major tech companies (SpaceX, Snap, Inc. …) Tourism (Hollywood, amusement parks…) The San Francisco and Los Angeles metropolises are the most racially and ethnically diverse parts of the country HOLLYWOOD BOULEVARD