U.S. Historical States and Territories

Metadata also available as

Metadata:

Identification_Information:
Citation:
Citation_Information:
Originator: Peter Siczewicz, Digital Compiler
Originator: Emily Kelley, Digital Compiler
Originator: John H. Long, Editor, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries
Publication_Date: 20111001
Title: U.S. Historical States and Territories
Edition: 2.0
Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: vector digital data
Series_Information:
Series_Name: Atlas of Historical County Boundaries-Digital (Shapefiles)
Issue_Identification: 2010
Publication_Information:
Publication_Place: Newberry Library, Chicago, Illinois, USA
Publisher: Atlas of Historical County Boundaries
Online_Linkage: <http://publications.newberry.org/ahcbp>
Description:
Abstract:
This document serves as the metadata for the U.S. Historical States and Territories shapefile for use in a geographic information system (GIS). This file may be downloaded without charge from this Web site (<http://publications.newberry.org/ahcbp>); see also Distribution_Information (below).
This dataset was generated from the U.S. Historical Counties dataset published by the Atlas of Historical County Boundary project. It is based on the state or territorial jurisdiction of each historical county version coded on that dataset, as detailed in the Process_Step discussion (below).
The U.S. Historical States and Territories shapefile holds the polygons, metadata, and attribute data for every different configuration of the states, territories, and equivalents in the United States, dated to the day, from 3 September 1783 through 31 December 2000. This dataset enables users easily to employ a geographic information system for the analysis and display of state and territorial related historical data. This downloadable dataset is provided in shapefile format in a geographic coordinate system (unprojected), so that it would be as accessible as possible to various GIS software.
Purpose:
This dataset contains polygons representing the various historical configurations of state and territorial boundaries in the United States, from 3 September 1783 (the date of the signing of the Treaty of Paris) to 31 December 2000. These polygons were generated from the U.S. Historical Counties NAD83 dataset, which is turn was derived from the individual state files created by the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries project. The metadata for the individual state files provide a detailed description of the methodology used to research, plot, and digitize the historical county boundaries.
Supplemental_Information:
The U.S. Historical States and Territories dataset covers the period of 3 September 1783 to 31 December 2000. This starting date was chosen because it is the date of the Treaty of Paris, which established the boundaries of the United States after the War of the American Revolution. Prior to that date, the U.S. Historical Counties dataset focuses on county boundaries, and does not include all of the extensive and conflicting territorial claims of the original 13 colonies. The U.S. Historical Counties dataset therefore cannot be used to create polygons for the full extent of colonial boundaries and claims. Except for the creation of West Virginia, the U.S. Historical States and Territories dataset does not include any jurisdictional changes related to the Confederate States of America and the secession of southern states.
Time_Period_of_Content:
Time_Period_Information:
Range_of_Dates/Times:
Beginning_Date: 17830903
Ending_Date: 20001231
Currentness_Reference: publication date
Status:
Progress: Complete
Maintenance_and_Update_Frequency: As needed
Spatial_Domain:
Bounding_Coordinates:
West_Bounding_Coordinate: -179.147355
East_Bounding_Coordinate: -66.949425
North_Bounding_Coordinate: 71.389612
South_Bounding_Coordinate: 18.910845
Keywords:
Theme:
Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: none
Theme_Keyword: polygon
Theme_Keyword: historical state and territorial boundaries
Place:
Place_Keyword_Thesaurus: none
Place_Keyword: United States
Temporal:
Temporal_Keyword_Thesaurus: none
Temporal_Keyword: 3 September 1783 to 31 December 2000
Access_Constraints:
Free access for use under an Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike Creative Commons License
Use_Constraints:
Free for use under an Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike Creative Commons License
Point_of_Contact:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Organization_Primary:
Contact_Organization:
Dr. William M. Scholl Center for American History and Culture, The Newberry Library
Contact_Position:
Director, Dr. William M. Scholl Center for American History and Culture
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: mailing and physical address
Address: 60 W. Walton Street
City: Chicago
State_or_Province: Illinois
Postal_Code: 60610
Country: USA
Contact_Voice_Telephone: 312-943-9090
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: scholl@newberry.org
Hours_of_Service: 8:00 am - 5:00 pm M-F, CT
Data_Set_Credit:
Principal financial support for the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries project was provided by the Reference Materials Program of the National Endowment for the Humanities, an independent federal agency; additional support came from the Newberry Library, Chicago, the project's headquarters, and from a number of corporations, foundations, and individuals.
Security_Information:
Security_Classification_System: none
Security_Classification: Unclassified
Security_Handling_Description: none
Native_Data_Set_Environment:
Microsoft Windows XP Version 5.1 (Build 2600) Service Pack 3; ESRI ArcCatalog 9.3.1.3000
Cross_Reference:
Citation_Information:
Originator: John H. Long, Editor, Historical Compiler
Originator: Peggy Tuck Sinko, Assoc. Editor, Historical Compiler
Originator: Douglas Knox, Book Digitizing Director, GIS Compiler
Originator: Gordon DenBoer, Historical Compiler
Originator: Kathryn Ford Thorne, Historical Compiler
Originator: George E. Goodridge, Jr., Historical Compiler
Originator: Emily Kelley, Historical Compiler, GIS Compiler
Originator: Laura Rico-Beck, GIS Specialist, GIS Compiler
Originator: Peter Siczewicz, GIS Consultant
Originator: Robert Will, Cartographic Assistant
Originator: John Ford, Cartographic Assistant
Publication_Date: 20100701
Title: Atlas of Historical County Boundaries
Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: book and vector digital data
Publication_Information:
Publication_Place: New York
Publisher: Charles Scribner's Sons
Other_Citation_Details:
19 book vols. (1993-2000), online publication (2000-2011). Books published by Simon and Schuster, Charles Scribner's Sons.
Data_Quality_Information:
Attribute_Accuracy:
Attribute_Accuracy_Report:
This dataset was generated from the U.S. Historical Counties dataset, which in turn provides a synthesis in shapefile format of the individual state files created by the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries project. The Atlas aims to achieve high accuracy through the use of the most authoritative and reliable sources, analysis of those sources by tested procedures, and careful proofreading of the results. Because counties are created and changed by their states, the state session laws are the primary, authoritative sources for the county lines, names, organization, and attachments. The initial plots of the boundaries are direct conversions of the legal boundary descriptions in the laws into linework on the plotting sheets. They are performed with copies of the legal descriptions at hand, and those same laws also are at hand for the GIS compiler when digitizing boundaries. All other sources, including old maps, are derived from those legal descriptions. The historical compiler searches the state session laws and, when necessary, related material (e.g., court decisions, executive proclamations) for information about the courses of the boundaries. Secondary texts, maps, and local experts are consulted as needed (e.g., when recovering a long-lost landmark that figured in an early boundary description). Dates of changes are also taken from the laws. Some laws specify when the change will go into effect, but others (mostly those passed before the twentieth century) do not; if no official effective date is provided, the historical compiler uses the date when the law was passed or approved.
The locations of places and landmarks cited in the boundary descriptions are gathered from the modern, federal base maps or from secondary publications (e.g., gazetteers, county histories, articles in historical journals), old maps, or local experts.
Details regarding the steps taken to insure the accuracy of the boundaries as they are plotted and digitized are available in the metadata for the individual state datasets.
Logical_Consistency_Report:
The dataset was initially created as a time-coded polygon feature class within an ESRI ArcGIS personal geodatabase, and ArcGIS tools were used to validate the polygon geometry. The procedures used to create the data ensure that the subset of polygons in effect at any given date from 3 September 1783 - 31 December 2000 is topologically correct, with no unexpected polygon gaps or overlaps. There are a number of known polygon overlaps, however, due to conflicting claims between neighboring states or territories. As a final step, the polygon feature class was converted to a shapefile.
Completeness_Report:
The dataset is complete. All changes are dated to the day. If there is a difference between the effective date of change and the date when a law was passed, the effective date of change is used. Boundary changes too small to map are excluded from the shapefile. As a rule, boundary changes occurring entirely on water were not mapped. Exceptions to this rule might include county boundaries which run through large inland water bodies like Lake Okeechobee, Lake Pontchartrain, Great Salt Lake, etc.
No regular or systematic updating of the pre-2001 data is anticipated because (a) the historical data cannot change and (b) the compilers believe their methods and materials are sufficient to produce data that are complete and correct. (That is not to say no error can slip through. Suggestions for ad hoc changes or additions to the historical data, together with an explanation of why the change should be made and supporting evidence, should be directed to scholl@newberry.org or Dr. William M. Scholl Center for American History and Culture, The Newberry Library, 60 W. Walton St., Chicago, IL 60610). State boundary changes that occur after 31 December 2000 will routinely be digitized by the various states and the federal government and, therefore, will be available from agencies of those governments in separate files in the indefinite future.
Positional_Accuracy:
Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy:
Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy_Report: Accurate to matching USGS 1:500,000 scale State Base maps.
Lineage:
Source_Information:
Source_Citation:
Citation_Information:
Originator: Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. (ESRI)
Publication_Date: 20001101
Title: ESRI Data Maps
Edition: 2000
Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: vector digital data
Publication_Information:
Publication_Place: Redlands, California, USA
Publisher: Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. (ESRI)
Source_Scale_Denominator: 100,000
Type_of_Source_Media: CD-ROM
Source_Time_Period_of_Content:
Time_Period_Information:
Single_Date/Time:
Calendar_Date: 2000
Source_Currentness_Reference: publication date
Source_Citation_Abbreviation: BASE1
Source_Contribution:
The ESRI detailed county, river, glocale, gsummit, highway, mjwater, and rail100K data were used as a modern base map, a reference for drawing historical county boundaries.
Source_Information:
Source_Citation:
Citation_Information:
Originator: Atlas of Historical County Boundaries
Publication_Date: 20110901
Title: U.S. Historical Counties
Edition: 2011
Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: vector digital data
Publication_Information:
Publication_Place: Newberry Library, Chicago, Illinois, USA
Publisher: Atlas of Historical County Boundaries
Source_Scale_Denominator: 100,000
Type_of_Source_Media: shapefile
Source_Time_Period_of_Content:
Time_Period_Information:
Range_of_Dates/Times:
Beginning_Date: 1629
Ending_Date: 2000
Source_Currentness_Reference: publication date
Source_Citation_Abbreviation: BASE2
Source_Contribution:
The U.S. Historical Counties shapefile was used to generate the U.S. Historical States and Territories boundary file.
Process_Step:
Process_Description:
The U.S. Historical States and Territories dataset was generated from the U.S. Historical Counties dataset. Each county version in the U.S. Historical Counties dataset contains a value in the STATE_TERR field specifying the county's state, colonial, territorial, or equivalent affiliation during the version's existence. Based on these STATE_TERR values, a program was used to generate polygons representing all of the different historical configurations of the states and territories. County boundary changes that did not affect the overall state/territorial boundaries were ignored. Colonial boundaries prior to 3 September 1783 were excluded from the resulting dataset.
Source_Used_Citation_Abbreviation: BASE1, BASE2
Process_Date: 2011
Source_Produced_Citation_Abbreviation: USB1
Process_Step:
Process_Description:
Dataset projected from GCS_North_American_1983 to GCS_WGS_1984, using NAD_1983_To_WGS_1984_5 Geographic Transformation.
Process_Date: 20110911
Process_Time: 12573500
Spatial_Data_Organization_Information:
Direct_Spatial_Reference_Method: Vector
Point_and_Vector_Object_Information:
SDTS_Terms_Description:
SDTS_Point_and_Vector_Object_Type: G-polygon
Point_and_Vector_Object_Count: 220
Spatial_Reference_Information:
Horizontal_Coordinate_System_Definition:
Geographic:
Latitude_Resolution: 0.000002
Longitude_Resolution: 0.000002
Geographic_Coordinate_Units: Decimal degrees
Geodetic_Model:
Horizontal_Datum_Name: D_WGS_1984
Ellipsoid_Name: WGS_1984
Semi-major_Axis: 6378137.000000
Denominator_of_Flattening_Ratio: 298.257224
Entity_and_Attribute_Information:
Detailed_Description:
Entity_Type:
Entity_Type_Label: U.S. Historical States and Territories
Entity_Type_Definition: state, territories, and equivalents
Entity_Type_Definition_Source: USA Laws
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: FID
Attribute_Definition:
Internal feature number. The FID number is the unique identifier (a primary key in database terms) for each polygon within the shapefile; its application is limited to its single shapefile.
Attribute_Definition_Source: ESRI
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Unrepresentable_Domain:
Sequential unique whole numbers that are automatically generated.
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: Shape
Attribute_Definition: Feature geometry.
Attribute_Definition_Source: ESRI
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Unrepresentable_Domain: Coordinates defining the features.
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: ID_NUM
Attribute_Definition: Numeric ID assigned to each polygon in the dataset.
Attribute_Definition_Source: compiler
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Unrepresentable_Domain: numeric field
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: NAME
Attribute_Definition:
Name or other identification of state, territory, or equivalent, limited to 20 characters.
Attribute_Definition_Source: colonial, territorial, state, and federal laws
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Unrepresentable_Domain: character field
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: ID
Attribute_Definition:
ID values were assigned to each state, territory, or equivalent entity in the dataset, following the general format of the U.S. Historical Counties dataset. The ID value does not change when there is a change in a state or territory's size or shape, as such changes are indicated by the VERSION field.
Attribute_Definition_Source: project standards
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Unrepresentable_Domain: character field
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: VERSION
Attribute_Definition:
Sequential and chronological change in state, territorial, or equivalent configuration, starting on 3 September 1783.
Attribute_Definition_Source: compiler
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Unrepresentable_Domain: numeric field
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: START_DATE
Attribute_Definition:
First date for a particular state or territorial version, arranged as mm/dd/yyyy.
Attribute_Definition_Source: colonial, territorial, state, and federal laws
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Range_Domain:
Range_Domain_Minimum: 17830903
Range_Domain_Maximum: 19591231
Beginning_Date_of_Attribute_Values: 17830903
Ending_Date_of_Attribute_Values: 19591231
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: END_DATE
Attribute_Definition:
Last date for a particular state or territorial version, arranged as mm/dd/yyyy.
Attribute_Definition_Source: colonial, territorial, state, and federal laws
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Range_Domain:
Range_Domain_Minimum: 17840229
Range_Domain_Maximum: 20001231
Beginning_Date_of_Attribute_Values: 17840229
Ending_Date_of_Attribute_Values: 20001231
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: CHANGE
Attribute_Definition:
Creation, change, or other event for each state or territory on the given date.
Attribute_Definition_Source: colonial, territorial, state, and federal laws, compiler
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Unrepresentable_Domain: character field
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: CITATION
Attribute_Definition:
Reference to the source of data for the event described under CHANGE
Attribute_Definition_Source:
colonial, territorial, state, and federal laws, any other texts, maps, or interviews employed to gather data
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Unrepresentable_Domain: character field
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: START_N
Attribute_Definition:
First date for a particular state or territorial version, arranged as yyyymmdd.
Attribute_Definition_Source: colonial, territorial, state, and federal laws
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Range_Domain:
Range_Domain_Minimum: 17830903
Range_Domain_Maximum: 19591231
Beginning_Date_of_Attribute_Values: 17830903
Ending_Date_of_Attribute_Values: 19591231
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: END_N
Attribute_Definition:
Last date for a particular state or territorial version, arranged as yyyymmdd.
Attribute_Definition_Source: colonial, territorial, state, and federal laws
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Range_Domain:
Range_Domain_Minimum: 17840229
Range_Domain_Maximum: 20001231
Beginning_Date_of_Attribute_Values: 17840229
Ending_Date_of_Attribute_Values: 20001231
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: AREA_SQMI
Attribute_Definition:
Area of a state, territory or equivalent in square miles, calculated from the polygon by means of ArcMap facility. Calculations were based on the appropriate Albers Equal Area projection for (1) contiguous U.S., (2) Alaska, and (3) Hawaii.
Attribute_Definition_Source: compiler
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Unrepresentable_Domain: numeric field
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: TERR_TYPE
Attribute_Definition:
This field classifies each state, territory, and equivalent into one of several categories: (1) State, (2) Territory; organized territories of the United States, (3) Unorganized Territory; areas that were part of the United States, prior to their organization into states or territories, (4) District of Columbia, (5) Other; all remaining areas included in this dataset, specifically Deseret, Oregon Country, Texas Republic, Uncertain Boundary Area, and Vermont Republic.
Attribute_Definition_Source: project standards
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Unrepresentable_Domain: character field
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: FULL_NAME
Attribute_Definition:
Full name or other identification of state, territory, or equivalent. These values are consistent with the values in the STATE_TERR field of the full U.S. Historical Counties dataset (BASE2).
Attribute_Definition_Source: colonial, territorial, state, and federal laws
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Unrepresentable_Domain: character field
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: ABBR_NAME
Attribute_Definition:
Abbreviated name or other identification of state, territory, or equivalent.
Attribute_Definition_Source: project standards
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Unrepresentable_Domain: character field
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: NAME_START
Attribute_Definition:
Combination of values from the NAME and the START_DATE fields, formatted for use in feature labeling applications.
Attribute_Definition_Source: compiler
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Unrepresentable_Domain: character field
Distribution_Information:
Distributor:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Organization_Primary:
Contact_Organization:
Dr. William M. Scholl Center for American History and Culture, The Newberry Library
Contact_Position:
Director, Dr. William M. Scholl Center for American History and Culture
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: mailing and physical address
Address: 60 W. Walton Street
City: Chicago
State_or_Province: Illinois
Postal_Code: 60610
Country: USA
Contact_Voice_Telephone: 312-943-9090
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: scholl@newberry.org
Hours_of_Service: 8:00 am - 5:00 pm, M-F, CT
Resource_Description: Downloadable Data
Distribution_Liability:
No liability is assumed by the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries project or the Newberry Library
Standard_Order_Process:
Digital_Form:
Digital_Transfer_Information:
Format_Name: SHP
File_Decompression_Technique: Zipped file
Transfer_Size: 142.209
Digital_Transfer_Option:
Online_Option:
Computer_Contact_Information:
Network_Address:
Network_Resource_Name: <http://publications.newberry.org/ahcbp>
Fees: None
Technical_Prerequisites:
To use this data requires software that supports ESRI GIS shapefiles.
Available_Time_Period:
Time_Period_Information:
Single_Date/Time:
Calendar_Date: 20110901
Metadata_Reference_Information:
Metadata_Date: 20110930
Metadata_Contact:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Organization_Primary:
Contact_Organization:
Dr. William M. Scholl Center for American History and Culture, The Newberry Library
Contact_Person:
Director, Dr. William M. Scholl Center for American History and Culture
Contact_Position:
Director, Dr. William M. Scholl Center for American History and Culture
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: mailing and physical address
Address: 60 W. Walton Street
City: Chicago
State_or_Province: Illinois
Postal_Code: 60610
Country: USA
Contact_Voice_Telephone: 312-943-9090
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: scholl@newberry.org
Hours_of_Service: 8:00 am - 5:00 pm, M-F, CT
Metadata_Standard_Name: FGDC Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata
Metadata_Standard_Version: FGDC-STD-001-1998
Metadata_Time_Convention: local time
Metadata_Extensions:
Online_Linkage: <http://www.esri.com/metadata/esriprof80.html>
Profile_Name: ESRI Metadata Profile
Generated by mp version 2.9.6 on Thu Dec 15 16:39:56 2011