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Aurora borealis across northern united states
The Northern United States, commonly referred to as the American North or simply the North, can be a geographic or historical term and definition.
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Geographic term
Geographically, the term includes the U.S. states and regions of the United States of America that are located across the northernmost part of the country. It includes, but is not limited to, states along the Canadian–American border.
Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau divides some of the northernmost United States into the Midwest Region and the Northeast Region. The Census Bureau also includes the northernmost states of the Northwestern United States, that are, within the West Region.
Historical term
Before 19th-century westward expansion, the "Northern United States" corresponded to the present day New England region. By the 1830s it corresponded to the present day Northeastern United States
American Civil War
During the American Civil War, the Northern United States was composed of the U.S. states that supported the United States of America, the Union states. In this context, "The North" is synonymous with the Union. In this context, "The South" is composed of the states that attempted secession from the U.S. to form the Confederate States of America. However, which states comprised "The North" in this context can be the subject of historical disagreement. Five slave-holding state, called the Border states, that remained with the Union – Missouri, Kentucky, West Virginia, Maryland and Delaware – may be excluded.