Southeastern United States

The Southeastern United States, also known as the American Southeast or simply the Southeast, is a geographical region of the United States located in the eastern portion of the Southern United States and the southern portion of the Eastern United States. The region includes a core of states that reaches north to Maryland and West Virginia, bordering the Ohio River and Mason–Dixon line, and stretches west to Arkansas and Louisiana.

There is no official U.S. government definition for the region, and it is defined variably among agencies and organizations.

History

The history of the present-day Southeastern United States dates to the dawn of civilization in approximately 11,000 BC or 13,000 BC. The earliest artifacts from the region were from the Clovis culture. Prior to the arrival of European colonialists, Native Americans occupied the region for several hundred years during the Woodland period.

The first Europeans to arrive in the region were conquistadors associated with the Spanish Empire. In 1541, Hernando de Soto journeyed through the southeast and crossed the Mississippi River. The region hosted the first permanent European settlement in the United States, with the Kingdom of Spain establishing St. Augustine, Florida in 1565. Four southeast states, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia, were among the Thirteen Colonies who sent delegates to the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia, which declared independence from the British Crown, which was established with the colonies' victory over the British in the American Revolutionary War.