You can find the nine Northeastern states. Now learn the city where each one's government meets.
Key idea
The Northeast's capitals: Augusta (Maine), Concord (New Hampshire), Montpelier (Vermont), Boston (Massachusetts), Providence (Rhode Island), Hartford (Connecticut), Albany (New York), Trenton (New Jersey) and Harrisburg (Pennsylvania).
Why it works
A capital is the city where a state's government meets: the governor works there and the legislature writes laws there. Many capitals were chosen long ago because they were near the middle of the state, easy for lawmakers to reach by horse or riverboat. The biggest cities often grew later, around ports and railroads. That is why the capital is so often not the biggest city.
| State | Capital | A well-known city that is not the capital |
|---|---|---|
| Maine | Augusta | Portland |
| New Hampshire | Concord | Manchester |
| Vermont | Montpelier | Burlington |
| Massachusetts | Boston | Worcester |
| Rhode Island | Providence | Newport |
| Connecticut | Hartford | Bridgeport |
| New York | Albany | New York City |
| New Jersey | Trenton | Newark |
| Pennsylvania | Harrisburg | Philadelphia |
Worked example: New York's capital
What is the capital of New York?
- New York City is the biggest city in the country, so it is tempting.
- But the state government meets upstate, on the Hudson River.
- That city is Albany.
Answer: Albany.
Common mistake
The biggest-city trap: New York's capital is Albany, not New York City, and Pennsylvania's is Harrisburg, not Philadelphia or Pittsburgh. Boston and Providence are the two capitals here that are also their state's biggest city.
Memory help. Montpelier, Vermont, is the smallest state capital by population. Hartford, Connecticut, and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, both start with H; picture Harrisburg on the Susquehanna River in the middle of Pennsylvania.