Hello boys and girls, how is everybody today?
Good.
Today, we are going to learn more about the states and capitals of the United States of
America.
Okay, boys and girls, now let's begin.
First established by the Declaration of Independence in 1776 and the Constitution in 1787, we belong
to a nation that is now over 200 years old.
As we review the states and capitals throughout each region of the U.S., keep in mind that
the capital is the most important city in the state.
It is the place where the laws of each state are made.
The state capital is also where the governor lives.
And in the nation's capital, Washington, D.C., the president lives at the White House.
We will travel from coast to coast through big cities and small crossroads across the
heartland of America as we review each capital of the 50 states.
We will also have a little history lesson about each state and learn interesting facts
about each one, for instance, the state motto, the year it was admitted to the union, and
even the official state birds, flowers, and animals as we travel from region to region.
Remember, if you ever need more time to look at something, you can just stop the tape with
your VCR's pause button and study the information a little bit longer.
As we begin our visit to a new region of the U.S., you will see some numbers on the map
screen.
Mark them down.
They will match the numbers on your VCR's tape meter and act as a roadmap so you will
always know where you are.
You will be able to fast forward or rewind any time you like and visit those states again.
Now let's have some fun.
Remember to keep an eye out for the state you live in.
Do you know what state your parents are from?
How about Grandma and Grandpa?
Or even your great-grandparents?
How many states have you ever visited?
We will learn so much together as we learn to know the states and capitals.
Now let's have a look at some of the states and capitals of the U.S.
The United States of America formed on July 4, 1776 and named after Amerigo Vespucci,
one of the discoverers who sailed with Christopher Columbus in the 15th century.
Beginning with the original 13 colonies, 200 years of westward expansion and settlement
have increased it to include our 50 states today.
The capital of the United States is Washington, D.C., the District of Columbia.
The capital of Pennsylvania is Harrisburg.
Pennsylvania was named for Admiral William Penn, father of the founder of Pennsylvania.
The capital of New Jersey is Trenton.
New Jersey was named for the British Channel Island of Jersey.
The capital of New York is Albany.
New York was named for the Duke of York, later to be King James II in 1664.
The capital of Vermont is Montpelier.
Its name was derived from the French words vert for green and monte for mountain.
The capital of New Hampshire is Concord.
New Hampshire was named for the English County of Hampshire.
The capital of Massachusetts is Boston.
Its name was derived from the Massachusetts Indian tribe that lived on Massachusetts Bay.
The name is thought to mean at the great hill.
The capital of Connecticut is Hartford.
It was named for the Mohican Indian word, queneticat, meaning beside the Long Tidal River.
The capital of Rhode Island is Providence.
Rhode Island was named after the island of Rhodes in the Mediterranean Sea.
The capital of Maine is Augusta.
Maine was named for either a historical district of France or the early use of the word Maine
to distinguish coast from the islands.
The capital of Texas is Austin.
Texas derived its name from the Cato word tavshas, meaning allies or friends.
The capital of Oklahoma is Oklahoma City.
Oklahoma derived its name from the Choctaw Indian word oklahoma, meaning land of the
red people.
Capital of Arkansas is Little Rock.
The name Arkansas is a French derivation of a name given to the Quah-Paw Indians by other
tribes.
The capital of Louisiana is Baton Rouge.
Louisiana was named in 1682 for France's King Louis XIV.
The capital of Mississippi is Jackson.
The name Mississippi was derived from the Objawa Indian words missy sippy, meaning great
river.
Capital of Kentucky is Frankford.
Kentucky derived its name from the Wyandotte Indian word katentate, meaning the land of
tomorrow.
The capital of Tennessee is Nashville.
Tennessee was named after the principal Cherokee Indian village of Tennessee.
The capital of Alabama is Montgomery.
Alabama was named after the Alabama Indian tribe.
The capital of West Virginia is Charleston.
This state was originally the western part of Virginia.
The capital of Virginia is Richmond.
Virginia was named for Queen Elizabeth I of England, the Virgin Queen.
The capital of Maryland is Annapolis.
Maryland was named for Henrietta Maria, Queen Concert of King Charles I of England.
The capital of Delaware is Dover.
Delaware was named for Thomas West, the Baron de la Warr, colonial governor of Virginia.
The capital of North Carolina is Raleigh.
North Carolina was named for King Charles I of England.
The capital of South Carolina is Columbia.
South Carolina was named for King Charles I of England.
The capital of Georgia is Atlanta.
Georgia was named for King George II of England in 1732.
The capital of Florida is Tallahassee.
Georgia was named in 1513 by Juan Ponce de Leon, who landed during Pascua Florida, the
Easter Festival of Flowers.
The capital of North Dakota is Bismarck.
The state was formerly the northern section of Dakota Territory.
Dakota is a Sioux word meaning allies.
The capital of Minnesota
is St. Paul.
Minnesota was derived from the Sioux Indian word minna sota, meaning sky-tinted waters.
The capital of Wisconsin is Madison.
Wisconsin was named for the Ojuwah Indian word wish-con-sing, meaning place of the beaver.
The capital of Michigan is Lansing.
Michigan derived its name from the Fox Indian word messa kami, meaning large lake.
The capital of Nebraska is Lincoln.
This state's name comes from the Oto Indian word Nebraska, meaning flat water.
The capital of Iowa is Des Moines.
Iowa was named for the Iowa Indians of the Sioux family.
The capital of Kansas is Topeka.
Kansas was named for the Kaa Indians, the people of the South Wind.
The capital of Missouri is Jefferson City.
Missouri was named for the Illiniwick Indian word Missouri, meaning owners of big canoes.
The capital of Illinois is Springfield.
Illinois is the French derivative of Illiniwick, meaning tribe of superior men.
The capital of Indiana is Indianapolis.
Indiana was named land of the Indians for the many Indian tribes that formerly lived
in the state.
The capital of Ohio is Columbus.
Ohio comes from the Iroquois Indian word ohayo, meaning beautiful.
The capital of Idaho is Boise.
Originally the name was coined by a lobbyist politician, George M. Willing, who claimed
the word came from an Indian term meaning gem of the mountains.
The capital of Montana is Helena.
Montana was derived from the Latin word meaning mountainous.
The capital of Wyoming is Cheyenne.
Wyoming derived its name from the Delaware Indian word mawa wa ma, meaning large plains.
The capital of Nevada is Carson City.
Nevada was named for the Sierra Nevada mountain range, Nevada meaning snow covered in Spanish.
The capital of Utah is Salt Lake City.
Utah was named for the Ute Indians.
The capital of Colorado is Denver.
The state's name comes from the Spanish word Colorado, meaning red or reddish brown.
The capital of Arizona is Phoenix.
Montana's name comes from the Pima or Papago Indian word arizonak, meaning place of small
springs.
The capital of New Mexico is Santa Fe.
British explorers in 1540 called this area the New Mexico.
The capital of Alaska is Juneau.
Alaska comes from the Aleut word alakshak, meaning peninsula or mainland.
The capital of Hawaii is Honolulu.
This name may come from Hawaii Loa, the traditional discoverer of the island, or from Hawaii Key,
the traditional Polynesian homeland.
The capital of Washington is Olympia.
This state was named in honor of George Washington.
The capital of Oregon is Salem.
This name was first given to the river now known as the Columbia.
The capital of California is Sacramento.
This state was named after the mythical island of California in a 16th century romance by
Garcia Ardoñez de Montalvo.
The capital of California was named after the mythical island of California in a 16th
century romance by Garcia Ardoñez de Montalvo.