The Midwest

The Middle West!

Perhaps it was named before Americans went all the way 🌁

Read your history.

Historical name, OP.

It's rather ridiculous to think of Ohio being anywhere close to anything 'west,' especially for those of us actually out west.

The upper part of it was the Northwest.

Why is Virginia called the south when it’s so far east it has a beach.

Why is California not the southwest when it is as south and west as you can get?

Even more confusing: the Midwest (the first one: Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, part of Minnesota) was originally the Northwest! The Northwest, then the Old Northwest. Then the Midwest. Then the Rust Belt.

Also, what the hell is Texas? Some people consider it southern but it always has seemed more southwest (desert and cactus-y, Native and Mexican influences) to me.

Lake Ontario is the only Great Lake which does not border Michigan, and Lake Michigan is the only Great Lake which does not border Ontario. Discuss.

R10 = Linda Richman

Op, you need to get out more.

[quote]Why is California not the southwest when it is as south and west as you can get?

Fuck you, R7!

[quote]Why is California not the southwest when it is as south and west as you can get?

R7. Because California is appropriately considered the West Coast.

When you look at the map of the U.S. after the Louisiana Purchase, the Old Northwest is positioned in the middle of the west, with west being everything west of the Appalachian Mountains.

OP: Sometimes the appropriate response to a question is simply, "Because."

r15 This is correct. Places like Ohio and Kentucky were "the West."

Most of it is known as The Great Lakes Region.

Did people imagine there were cowboys and Indians in that western frontier of Ohio?

[quote]Did people imagine there were cowboys and Indians in that western frontier of Ohio?

If you were interested, you could read David McCullough's book The Pioneers. It chronicles the settlement of Ohio and the real Indians who were living there when the settlers arrived.

R9 I think Texas is split between regions. El Paso is part of the southwest, Houston is part of the South and central Texas is part of the plains.

R20, thanks. I love reading this type of stuff. Fell down a Donner Party rabbit-hole not too long ago.

The West was very powerful in the 18th century and wanted to spread its influence to the East.