Create Your Own State!

By: Emma Eckerle And Alexandra Irene Kent 

Did you know the U.S. originally only had thirteen states!?! After the thirteenth state was colonized the rest followed within 169 years. The process of colonizing a state is finding land, creating a government, and having a majority of each House of Congress vote in favor.

Some states have nicknames based on attributes, Indiana is the Hoosiers. When asked if this was a good nickname, 3rd-grader Archer H. said, “It’s okay, but I don’t think it’s the best nickname,” he said this because not many people know the meaning of the nickname. Turns out, the nickname originally came from the Indian word for corn, “hoosa.”

 Other nicknames include Kansas as the “Sunflower State'' because of the many sunflowers and Washington as the “Evergreen State'' because of many evergreen forests. 4th-grader Colette G. recalls, “One of them’s the garden state,” which is New Jersey. Fill out the form titled “Design Your Own State!” on the last page, then turn it into the suggestion boxes for a chance to win a prize!