Maine is the northeasternmost state of New England and thus of
the United States as a whole. The original inhabitants of the
state were Indians who spoke Algonquian languages. The first
European settlement in Maine was founded by the French in 1604
on the island of the Holy Cross (Saint-Croix). The first English
settlement was created by the Plymouth Company in 1607.
A
number of English settlements were established along the Maine
coast in the 1620s, but harsh climate, hardship, and conflict
with the Aboriginal people caused many to disappear in
subsequent years. By the early 18th century, only half a dozen
English settlements remained in Maine.
American and
British troops fought for the Maine Territory during the
Revolutionary War and the Anglo-American War.
Maine was
part of Massachusetts until 1820. As a result of the Missouri
Compromise, Maine became the 23rd state of the United States on
March 15, 1820.
Official nicknames are “The Pine Tree
State”, “Vacationland”.
Maine's 16 counties can be divided into eight tourist regions.
On the Atlantic coast (from north to south):
Down East -
Hancock and Washington counties. The easternmost tip of the USA,
at the transition to Canada (New Brunswick). French colony until
1763, hence French heritage. Wonderfully original coastal
landscape in Acadia National Park with fantastic views.
Central Coast - Sagadaroc, Lincoln, Knox and Waldo Counties.
Greater Portland - The southern portion of Cumberland County.
The area around the state's largest city, most densely populated
and most urbanized region. Upstream are several islands in Casco
Bay with a very relaxed lifestyle, where time seems to have
stood still.
South Coast—York County. The southernmost tip of
Maine and the part of the state with the longest European
history of settlement.
In the hinterland (from north to
south):
Aroostook—Aroostook County. The very sparsely
populated, extreme north of the USA. Potato fields and cultural
heritage of the Acadians (French settlers)
Highlands—Piscataquis County and Penobscot County. Also sparsely
populated highlands that belong to the northeastern foothills of
the Appalachian Mountains (highest elevation is Mount Katahdin
at 1606 meters). Here are the wildlife sanctuaries of Baxter
State Park and Sunkhaze Meadows, as well as the east shore of
Moosehead Lake (Maine's largest lake).
River Valley—Somerset
County and Kennebec County. The Kennebec and Moose River valleys
and the west shore of Moosehead Lake.
Lakes and Mountains -
Franklin County, Oxford County and Northern Cumberland Counties.
Lake District of Rangeley Lakes, eastern tip of White Mountain
National Forest, waterfalls, many youth camps.
Some of Maine's major cities are:
1 Augusta – the state
capital with the Capitol, the State Museum, the oldest surviving
wooden fort in the USA and an old neo-Romanesque post office.
2
Bangor – former logging and dockyard town and center of moccasin
production; 19th-century lumber baronial mansions, ancient churches
and shady trees have earned the city the nickname Queen City of the
East; Seat of the University of Maine, hometown of Stephen King, who
chose it as the setting for several novels.
3
Bar Harbor - Small
town right on the edge of Acadia National Park.
4
Biddeford -
Home of the University of New England, large ethnic French community
that hosts the Franco-American festival of La Kermesse every June.
5 Brunswick – Home of Bowdoin College (Maine's oldest college of
higher education), several museums; historic wobbly bridge over the
Androscoggin River.
6 Ellsworth - Gateway to the Downeast Region
and Acadia National Park.
7 Lewiston – large industrial city in
central Maine, forms the “Twin Cities” with Auburn.
8
Portland –
Port city and largest city in the state. Various historical
buildings from the 19th century. Voted one of the most liveable,
coziest cities and one of the best places to eat in the USA by
various travel magazines
9 Auburn
Acadia National Park covers much of Mount Desert Island in a state of Main along many minor islands of the coast.
Baxter State Park is a small pristine reserve located in the Piscataquis County in the state of Maine.
In northern Maine there are vast, uninhabited boreal
coniferous forests. This area offers a lot for people who
long for peace and seclusion and like northern landscape
characteristics: Chesuncook Lake, the Allagash Wilderness
Waterway and Baxter State Park with the 1,585 m high Mount
Katahdin are among them, but also the northern part of the
Appalachian Trail.
Willowbrook Museum Village, Newfield
wikipediacommons. Museum village with 37 historic buildings.
Colby College Museum of Art, 5600 Mayflower Hill Dr,
Waterville wikipediacommons. Small art museum.
Portland
Museum of Art, 7 Congress Square, Portland wikipediacommons.
Museum for, among other things, American and European art of
the 19th and 20th centuries. Maine Sculptures and Art.
Bowdoin College Museum of Art, 9400 College Station,
Brunswick wikipediacommons. Small art museum. Price: Free
entry.
Peary MacMillan Arctic Museum & Arctic Studies
Center, 9500 College Station, Brunswick wikipediacommons.
One of two museums in the US specializing in Arctic studies.
Moosehead Marine Museum, Greenville. Museum with a small
exhibition on regional inland shipping.
Whale watching (humpback, fin, minke, white-sided dolphin;
tours depart from Bar Harbor, Boothbay, or Portland; best
time to travel mid-April to October)
experience the
"Indian Summer", i.e. the colorful foliage in October
(especially good to observe in Camden Hills State Park and
Baxter State Park)
Swimming in lakes and in the sea
surfing
Hike
camping
to go biking
Sea Kayak:
Paddle along the Island Trail.
river kayak
Wildwater
Rafting
driving a snowmobile
Visit historical places
The state is characterized by rugged, rocky coastlines carved by
glaciers during the last Ice Age, rolling hills and low mountain ranges,
extensive inland forests, and picturesque rivers and lakes that give the
state its unique character. Maine is also known for its seafood,
particularly lobster and conch, and as a base for whale watching. The
capital is Augusta, but the most important city is Portland.
In
the USA, Maine only borders on New Hampshire in the south-west,
otherwise on Canada (province of Quebec in the north-west and New
Brunswick in the north-east). To the southeast and south, Maine has a
long coastline facing the Atlantic.
Maine is one of the most
sparsely populated states in the USA. The first European settlement took
place in 1607 in the area of the present city of Philippsburg, but was
soon abandoned. Beginning in 1625, individual settlers arrived from New
Hampshire and, in 1635, French colonists who named it Maine after their
French homeland. In the same year the land was ceded by the Plymouth
Company to which it had been assigned by James I to two privateers,
Mason and Georges, and, after the latter's death in 1652, was largely
sold to Massachusetts. Since then it has formed part of this state. As
early as 1792 it demanded to be admitted to the Union as an independent
state, but it has only formed its own state since 1820 and adopted the
title Commonwealth of Maine.
Maine's unique accent and dialect add to its one-of-a-kind charm.
This dialect is sometimes referred to as "Yankee." Several humorists and
storytellers have built their reputations on telling jokes and stories
by combining the classic "Yankee" dialect with the well-known dry wit of
the region. For an authentic Maine experience, these events are not to
be missed.
Native French speakers live in the St. John Valley of
Aroostook County, Maine, and Quebecois immigrants brought their
traditions to central Maine. Eastern Maine is called "Down East" because
this region is downwind from the rest of the east coast where the
prevailing winds blow.
Commercial airports in Maine are located in Portland and Bangor,
which are served by various cities in the northeastern United States.
Nearest airport with intercontinental flights is
Boston.
Maine
shares land borders with New Brunswick, Quebec and
New Hampshire. For
overseas visitors, the port of call is Boston. There are bus services
from Boston to the major cities of Maine, and Amtrak also offers a
Downeaster train service from Boston North Station via Portland to
Brunswick (five times daily, journey time Boston-Portland 2½ hours,
normal price $30, Boston-Brunswick just under 3½ hours, $34, saver fares
may be cheaper). However, a car is required to reach remote regions.
Many visitors rent one in Boston and then travel via Interstate 95. It
takes two hours to drive from Boston to Portland and another two hours
to Bangor.
Bay Ferries Limited operate up to seven weekly ferry
services between Yarmouth, Nova Scotia and Bar Harbor, Maine from late
May to mid-October. Bay Ferries' Yarmouth to Portland ferry service
ceased in late 2015.
There are few public roads in the areas north and west of Bangor.
Private landowners control the few roads available in the northern
forests, and permits are required to pass through 10 checkpoints. Hours
of operation vary. Bicycles, motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles, and
horses are prohibited in Maine's northern forests to reduce the risk of
being caught in logging trucks or forest fires.
By Train.
Amtrak Downeaster, ☏ +1 800 872-7245. amtrak Downeaster is the only
Amtrak line through Maine between Boston North Station and Brunswick,
and serves Wells, Saco, Old Orchard Beach, Portland, and Freeport,
Maine. It serves the cities of Wells, Saco, Old Orchard Beach, Portland,
and Freeport, Maine. The only rail line serving Boston North Station. To
transfer to other Amtrak lines, riders must use Boston City Transit from
North Station to South Station. Same station as Maine Eastern Railroad
in Brunswick.
By bus.
For information on Maine Transit, please
click here.
Concord Coach Lines (formerly Concord Trailways) (☎
+1.207.945.4000) offers express service from Boston South Station or
Logan Airport and Bangor with stops in Portland, Brunswick, Bath,
Wiscasset, Waldoboro, Rock Land, Camden, Belfast, and the University of
Maine at Orono, among other stops on coastal local routes. It also has
routes to Orono with stops in Augusta, Bangor, and Colby College in
Waterville along the I-95 corridor.
Greyhound Lines, toll-free
+1-800-231-2222. Greyhound operates primarily on Interstate 95 between
Boston South Station and Bangor (via Portsmouth, Wells, Portland,
Lewiston, Augusta, and Waterville) and from Portland to Interstate 295
to Brunswick on Interstate 295, then to Lewiston, and a branch route on
Interstate 95 north toward Bangor. Passengers can transfer in Boston,
Bangor, or Portsmouth to reach other cities and towns.
Cyr Bus Lines,
(office/depot) 153 Gilman Falls Ave, Old Town, ☏ +1 207 827-2010,
toll-free: + Connects Bangor and Caribou and serves Old Town, Orono,
Hallton, Oakfield, Sher Stops in Old Town , Orono, Hallton, Oakfield,
Sherman, Medway, Mars Hill, and Presque Isle in northern Maine.
Kittery and Freeport have a concentration of factory outlet stores.
Portland's Old Port is full of upscale boutiques and artisan stores, and
Congress Street is a great place to find funky wares and browse
consignment stores. Angela Adams' showroom designer carries unique
handbags and rugs.
Camden This quintessential Maine village along
Penobscot Bay is home to a variety of stores, cafes, and galleries.
Windsor Chairmakers, 10 km north of Camden on Route 1, offers
custom-made chairs, beds, dining tables, buffets, and highboys. Tour the
workshop, feed the Scottish Highland cows, and browse the showroom.
Maine Lobster Lobster is ubiquitous in Maine and is served in a
variety of ways. The basic preparation (served almost everywhere, from
basic lobster pound restaurants that serve nothing to upscale
restaurants) is steamed minus the butter. Bibb and claw crackers are
served. Unique Maine preparations include lobster stew, lobster
casserole, and lobster pie. Some ice cream companies make lobster ice
cream!
Lobster rolls are lobster meat sandwiched between hot dog buns
and mixed with mayonnaise or butter, lemon, salt and pepper.
The more
traditional clambake consists of steamed clams, mussels, lobster,
potatoes, onions, and corn on the cob on a bed of seaweed and steamed in
salt water.
An array of fresh seafood, including crabs, scallops,
shrimp, and clams, is on the menu. Small but flavorful Boreal Red Shrimp
(commonly known as Maine Shrimp) are available from November through
March. As well as the only variety of shrimp in New England, the most
abundant type of crab in New England (rock crab), known as Maine crab,
is not as famous as lobster but is excellent when steamed or otherwise
eaten. Local oysters include pemaquid and sheepscot. Fishermen catch all
kinds of fish in the North Atlantic.
Pancakes, muffins, bagels....
This sweet morsel grows freely on the cool, moist hillsides and
hillsides of rural Maine. Wild blueberries are generally smaller than
the blueberries sold in supermarkets, but richer in flavor. Blueberry
pie is even the state's official dessert.
Indian pudding is a
traditional Maine dessert. English settlers attempting to make the
traditional English Hasty Pudding replaced the wheat in the original
recipe with cornmeal (which was readily available in colonial Maine),
substituted water for milk, and added spices to taste. The recipe took
hold and became a dish that many older Maine residents fondly recall
eating as children, but it has become less common as common commercial
puddings and custards have become available for sale. Thankfully, some
restaurants and families have kept the dish alive, often enjoying it
with vanilla ice cream.
Whoopie pie is a dessert consisting of a
sweet, creamy filling sandwiched between two pieces of cake (usually
chocolate). Several states claim to be the birthplace of this dish, but
Maine can claim some of the oldest surviving recipes for this treat.
For specific restaurants and stores, see our articles on regions and
cities.
Hikers should carry a map and compass and know how to use them. Maine
has one of the lowest crime rates in the nation. In fact, in some areas
of the state, "Mainers" leave their homes and cars unlocked even when
they are away for long periods of time. Although violent crime is rare,
visitors to Maine need to protect their belongings everywhere. Do not
leave valuables in unattended vehicles. There is usually little risk of
death from animals, but blowflies and mosquitoes may drive people crazy.
Car collisions with moose can be fatal to both the moose and the
occupants of the vehicle. It is best not to drive too fast in areas
where moose frequent. Signs are posted in many areas where there is a
high risk of elk-vehicle collisions, and drivers visiting from warmer
areas from December through April should avoid driving on snow- or
ice-covered roads.
Venturing out into Maine's coastal waters without
the necessary equipment and experience can be dangerous. This is true
for kayaking, canoeing, sailing, or any other type of boating. The water
is cold, hypothermia can occur in a short time, and the undertow is
strong. Not only are there occasional storms, but thick fog often rolls
in quickly. If we decide to go out on our own, without all passengers
wearing life jackets or other personal flotation devices (PFDs), without
a compass, without knowing how to use it, and without understanding how
to navigate safely through other boats and dangerous waters, we are not
only foolish, but also subject to Coast Guard and Marine Patrol
personnel and can result in serious fines. There are numerous companies
that offer guided tours of sea kayaking, sailing, and power boating.
Despite the location on the ocean, the climate is continental: There are distinct seasons with long, cold to very cold winters (average 0 to -17 °C in January) and warm to hot summers (daytime average 24-27 °C in July) . The transition times, on the other hand, are short. Precipitation is relatively high and fairly evenly distributed throughout the year, with a slight emphasis on late autumn to early winter, while late spring to early summer is somewhat drier. There are around a hundred rainy days a year, so an average of eight a month. Thunderstorms and tornadoes are less common than in most US states. In the coastal areas, however, there are occasional so-called Northeasters, which bring with them strong winds and a lot of rain or snow in winter.
During the Ice Age, the last of
which is known as the Wisconsin Glaciation, hardly any people could live
in Maine The North American ice sheet extended southward to
Pennsylvania. In the Maine area, this shield rose to over 5,000 feet.
The large amounts of water that were bound in the ice masses in the
polar regions were withdrawn from the oceans, so that the sea level was
over 100 m lower. Around 19,000 BC The glaciation was strongest around
16,000 BC. The glaciers began retreating between 13,000 and 12,000 BC.
the ice masses released the land in Maine as well. Around 9000 BC the
state was free of ice. At the same time the sea level rose, so that the
Atlantic advanced up to 100 km inland. This effect was partially
reversed as the land freed from the ice masses slowly rose. This
resulted in large lakes, such as the Degeer Lake. Between 8000 and 7000
BC the sea level was around 60 m below today's level, the coast was up
to 20 km east of the current coastline. Since then, sea levels have been
rising unevenly, which may have destroyed numerous artefacts.
Mosses, lichens and grasses returned to the water-rich, still cool but
ice-free area, later followed by tree species that were able to survive
in the tundra landscape. While Maine's north and mountainous areas
remained tundra for a long time, forests of oak, larch and elm settled
in the south, with birch, spruce and pine dominating in the middle. The
megafauna that characterized the period, such as woolly mammoths
(Mammuthus primigenius), prairie mammoths (Mammuthus jeffersonii or
columbi), and mastodon, were supplemented by horses, bison, and caribou.
Remains of a mammoth have been found at Scarborough and have been dated
to around 12,200 BCE. In Massachusetts they probably only disappeared
after 9000 BC.
The first human inhabitants of Maine hunted the
large mammals, but until a few decades ago only scattered finds of their
projectile tips were known, which were discovered at Lebanon in the
extreme southwest, Lewiston, Monmouth, Arrowsic, Boothbay, Rumford
Center, Graham, Brassta and Flagstaff had been. It wasn't until the late
1970s that two workshops were found on Lake Munsungan and Lake Chase
north of Baxter State Park, i.e. places where certain types of stone
were extracted and processed into rough pieces. This made it possible to
reconstruct the process from the quarrying of the stone to the
production of spearheads, as well as scrapers and scrapers. Additional
sites along the Magalloway River in northwest Maine have suggested life
in hunter-gatherer camps. The largest of these sites is the Vail site,
now covered by the water of Aziscohos Lake. Around 9000 BC However, it
lay on the east bank of the Magalloway. Condensed finds (loci) were
found in eight places, the tents of the residents measured 4.5 by 6 m
and were warmed by a deep fireplace. The loci probably did not exist at
the same time, but were used seasonally in different years. A total of
more than 4000 tools were found, with the projectile tips showing great
similarities to those at the Debert site in Nova Scotia, Canada.
Although stone was mined about 15 miles north of the site, in the
headwaters of the Magalloway, many varieties were from the Champlain
Lowlands of western Vermont, or from Lake Munsungan, even New York and
Pennsylvania.
The same applies to the Adkins site, but the
artefacts there consist of one-third the mass of crystalline quartz,
plus rhyolite (probably from New Hampshire). This variable composition
of raw materials is characteristic of all sites of the Magalloway
complex, such as the Michaud site. Four types of flint predominate
there, namely black and gray-green, and Munsungan flint; Greenstone was
only used for the simplest, coarsest tools. In nearby Moose Brooke,
Henry Lamoreau discovered the site named after him, which was probably
inhabited at the same time as the Michaud site. Similar to these two
sites, the Wayne dam site was in an area of old sand dunes, the top
layer of which was blown away by the wind, exposing the finds. Here,
too, three or four loci were found. The stone artifacts came from a wide
area, namely Nova Scotia and northern Maine to the north, central New
York and western Vermont to the west, and Pennsylvania.
In
general, the large sites in New England, where several family groups
gathered seasonally, are surrounded by a cluster of smaller camps. The
seasonal migrations were probably not only determined by sites of
particularly beautiful or practical stones, but above all by the
migrations of the prey animals, above all the caribou. Around 8000 BC
The production of the fluted points characteristic of the Paleo-Indians
ended.
The term archaic period
was first used by William A. Ritchie in 1932 and today describes the
epoch between the Paleo-Indian cultures and the early farming cultures
of North America, i.e. the time between about 8000 and 1500 BC. This
epoch is usually divided into an early, a middle and a late phase, which
were demarcated around 6000 and 4000 BC.
Paleo-Indian culture was
tied to an open landscape, but dense forest now spread across New
England. With that, the large herds of animals disappeared, and the
retreat of the glaciers allowed them to migrate further north.
Additionally, this forest area in Maine changed around 8000 B.C. from a
boreal landscape dominated by poplar, birch, and spruce to a temperate
region, where from about 7000 B.C. BC Oaks and hemlocks increased.
Moose, deer, American black bear (Ursus americanus) and numerous other
mammals expanded their habitat northward from the southern and western
areas. Whether the Paleoindians followed the caribou herds or adapted to
the new conditions is unclear in the Northeast, in contrast to the
Midwest and Southeast, where adaptation occurred. While no fluted tips
were found in Québec, new forms were developed there that may have
represented an adaptation during the north migration.
Little is
known about the early Archaic period, possibly because most people lived
along the coast and their remains have been destroyed by rising sea
levels. On many lakes, on the other hand, between 6500 and 3000 BC. by
global warming of water levels. It seems that the local rock types
continued to be used, although preference was given to harder stones.
However, techniques and possibly new residents came from the south, such
as what is now North Carolina. In addition, woodworking techniques
emerged, such as the construction of dugout canoes, waterways as a whole
established themselves as the most important traffic routes, and boats
as the main means of transport. This is at least believed to be possible
from the fact that the archaeological sites of this period are located
along waterways. Instead of bison and caribou, they now hunted bears,
deer, beavers and muskrat, birds and turtles. Traces of rituals were
often found, the dead were cremated.
The people of the subsequent
Middle Archaic period continued this lifestyle. But the noticeable
innovations used were grooved axes and spear throwers (possibly with
weights). They probably came from Middle Archaic groups from the south;
on the other hand, so-called "ground slate points" were produced on
site. They were made of shale, a material less suitable but not nearly
as rare as flint in Maine. Knives were also made from these more common
materials, such as quartz and slate. Furthermore, groups of 20 to 25
members mostly lived on shores and coasts. A fish weir was found at
Sebasticook Lake near Newport. Apparently eel was the fish of choice.
Ocher was now widely used in funeral rituals.
The late Archaic
period is divided into two phases, namely the Vergennes phase from 3000
BC. and the Small Stemmed Point tradition, which began around the same
time and also lasts until 1500 B.C. was enough. It was characterized by
small stalked or barreled projectile tips. The Vergenne phase is rarely
found in Maine, but Otter Creek Points, spearheads belonging to this
phase and used for hunting large animals, have been found. These
artifacts may have belonged to small groups that invaded Maine
territory. Small stalked spearheads, mostly quartz, are common in New
England but less common in Maine, where they are found almost
exclusively on the coast. The points were used to hunt deer, but mussels
and fish, especially cod or cod (Gadus morhua), played an important
role. Another group is represented in the Moorehead phase, also from
3000 to 1500 BC. BC is verifiable. People used red paint at funerals and
burned the dead's personal belongings, such as weapons or tools, but
also jewelry and beautiful objects. Their culture was so similar to that
of Canada's maritime provinces as far north as Newfoundland that they
are believed to have belonged to a vast, overarching culture.
Woodland culture followed the Archaic period. Around 800 it was characterized by birch bark canoes, wigwams and above all pottery. The inhabitants of present-day Maine were Algonquin-speaking Indians of the eastern Abenaki of the Pigwacket, Arosaguntacook, Kennebec and Penobscot tribes and, at least historically, smaller tribes such as the Amaseconti, Arsicantegou, Kwapahag, Ossipee, Rocameca and Wewenoc, as well as the Mi'kmaq, Maliseet and Passamaquoddy.
The
Mi'kmaq, of which only the Aroostock Band of Micmac living in Maine is
officially recognized in the USA today, were the first to come into
contact with Europeans. They used petroglyphs as a means of
communicating with transcendent powers. Their villages were assigned to
seven different political centers. Each village had a chief, elders, a
women's council and a grand chief or chief chief. The villages consisted
of wigwams in which 10 to 20 people lived. They mainly followed elk
seasonally, but also hunted deer or caribou, using maple bows. In the
summer they lived in fishing villages on the coast. Having killed an elk
was a prerequisite for being active in the political bodies. The Mi'kmaq
Confederation represented a loose alliance of numerous groups, the
internal organization followed laws of the clans.
Giovanni Caboto
brought three Mi'kmaq to England in 1497. The Indians were soon trading
with the Europeans, with skins and fish being the main goods. From 1564
to 1570 a first epidemic raged among the Mi'kmaq, in 1586 it was typhus.
Meanwhile, Penobscot and Abenaki benefited more from trade, threatening
the supremacy of the Mi'kmaq. From 1607 to 1615 there was open warfare
between Abenaki and Penobscot on the one hand and Mi'kmaq and Maliseet
on the other. When some Mi'kmaq killed the Penobscot sachem (chief) the
war ended. The victors raided numerous Abenaki villages. In doing so,
they brought diseases that killed three quarters of the tribesmen. By
1620, only 4,000 of the approximately 20,000 Mi'kmaq in Maine were still
alive.
The Maliseet were often in
league with the Mi'kmaq. Their name comes from the powerful neighbors
and it means "people who cannot speak properly". They call themselves
Wolastoqiyik. Wolastoq is her name for the Saint John River, the
"shining river". They traveled down this river in spring and up in
autumn. They hunted, fished, but also farmed.
In 1604, Samuel de
Champlain met Europeans for the first time; at that time they were at
war with the Abenaki. They greeted the French with beaver pelts and
caribou meat. Missionaries converted part of the tribe to Christianity,
the other part stuck to their religion, called Midewin.
They were
closely related to the Passamaguoddy, so Europeans collectively called
them "Etchmins". Like the Mi'kmaq, the Passamaguoddy, who lived mostly
along the estuary and only hunted when necessary, suffered from severe
epidemics. Their population also collapsed from about 20,000 to 4,000. A
typhoid epidemic followed in 1586. The few survivors found themselves
with Abenaki and Penobscot in the Wabanaki Confederacy.
The Penobscot made their living mostly from hunting bear, beaver, elk and otter, but they also fished and farmed. Only in winter do they move to more wild areas. Due to trade with the Europeans, the beaver population soon declined, since the hides and furs of these animals were the main means of exchange for European goods such as guns, tools, pans and pots, tobacco, flour or sugar. They too suffered from epidemics and the consumption of alcohol, and also got into conflicts with the Wabanaki Confederation over trade privileges. The few who survived were baptized, but they came into conflict with the Mohawk people in the mid-17th century. At the beginning of contact with the Europeans there were about 10,000 Penobscots, in 1803 only 347 were counted.
Abundant rainfall and long, cold winters made cultivation,
such as the cultivation of pumpkins, difficult. Hunting and fishing were
therefore the main sources of food. Maple trees provided syrup and
sugar. The Penacook of southern New Hampshire, on the other hand,
enjoyed a milder climate. They grew corn, beans, and squash, which
barely thrived in Maine. But in 1668 the Mohawk drove the Pennacook
through New Hampshire into southern Maine. The perhaps 2500 survivors
joined the Wabanaki Confederation, their descendants are now organized
in the Cowasuck Band of the Pennacook-Abenaki People and live in the
states of Vermont, New Hampshire and Massachusetts, others live in
Canada.
First Europeans, Anglo-French dispute, Abenaki and Mohawk
From 1497 to 1499 Giovanni Caboto, an Italian in the service of the
English, stayed on the American east coast. At the beginning of the 17th
century, the English King James I claimed the entire territory of New
England with reference to the voyages of "John Cabot".
But the
first European settlers were French in 1604. Samuel de Champlain
attempted to establish a colony on St. Croix Island, but in 1607 it was
moved to Port Royal in what later became Nova Scotia. That year saw a
Souriquois attack on Almouchaquois on the Saco River. The former can
only be identified with one of today's tribal groups, namely the
Mi'kmaq, who still live in the region today, through the relatively long
list of words in Marc Lescarbot's Histoire de la Nouvelle France. The
fur trade already played an important role for the Wabanaki. Bessabez
was chief and controlled trade in the large area between Mount Desert
Island and the Saco River known as the Mawooshen. In 1604 he met
Champlain sailing down the Penobscot River. However, he was killed in
battles with Etchemin tribes in 1615. In 1616–1619, smallpox epidemics
probably killed three-fourths of Maine's Indians.
In 1607 the
first Englishmen, supported by the Plymouth Company, settled there.
George Popham and Raleigh Gilbert attempted to establish Popham Colony
at the Kennebec Estuary. However, it had to be abandoned after Popham's
death in 1608. On the other hand, the Jamestown colony in southern
Virginia survived, and it was from there that fishermen came to the
Maine coast for the first time as early as 1610. They set up their first
permanent stations there.
But the English and French colonies
fought each other. Although Biard, a French Jesuit, was able to
establish a settlement on Somes Sound on Mount Desert Island in 1613,
which the Penobscot called Pemetic (sloping land), the English captain
Samuel Argall of Virginia destroyed the French settlements on Somes
Sound, Port Royal and on St Croix Island. In 1614, John Smith came to
Maine and wrote his Description of New England, which prompted some
Englishmen to emigrate there.
Beginning in 1621, the coastal
areas were granted by the king to the Council for New England, a group
of nobles who wanted to settle the area. Therefore, Ferdinando Gorges,
the "father of English colonization", is also considered the founder of
Maine from 1622. His interest in colonization had been sparked by
Captain George Weymouth presenting captured Indians to him. He was
involved in the failed Popham Colony as a partner in the Plymouth
Company. In 1622, along with John Mason, he received a land deed for an
area that initially lay between Merrimack and Kennebec. In 1625 a
trading post was established in Pejepscot, in 1628 there were posts in
Cushnoc (Augusta) and on Richmond Island. In 1634 North America's first
sawmill was built on Piscataqua, and in 1636 the first court was held in
Saco in southern Maine. Eastern, less populated Maine north of the
Kennebec River was designated Sagadahock territory in the 17th century.
1630 the settlement efforts of the founded in that year Massachusetts
Bay Colony were increased. Settlements were established at York, Cape
Porpus and Saco, and in Kittery in 1631.
The French, for their
part, continued to pursue their goal of winning the region over to New
France, their American colony. In 1640, the first Abenaki chief was won
over to Catholicism by French missionaries and baptized Jean Baptiste.
In 1671, eastern Maine became French again. For a short time it appeared
that Mount Desert Island would be settled by the French. In 1688 Antoine
Laumet was granted about 400 km² of land on the coast including the
whole island. Laumet, who had given himself the title of Sieur de la
Mothe Cadillac, wanted to establish a feudal lordship there, but the
plan failed.
But not only the English and the French fought each
other. In 1642 Mohawk raided western Maine, in 1661 Abenaki killed 30 of
the attacking Mohawk in an attempt to subjugate their territory to the
Iroquois. The next year the Mohawk fought back and attacked Etchemin;
nearly 100 opponents were killed or captured. Only in 1671, when most of
the tribes had already fallen victim to severe epidemics, was there a
peace agreement.
The area in its former borders, i.e. southwest
Maine, became part of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1652. By the
1690s, it seemed almost as if the French and Abenaki would drive the
English-Protestant colonists out of Maine. William Dummer, the colony's
governor appointed by London, set out to destroy the Abenaki and the
French Jesuits led by Sebastien Rale. He fought against the English in
both the King Williams War (1689-1697) and the Queen Anne War
(1702-1713). During the war of 1722-1725, the Jesuit priest died in the
Norridgewock massacre, now euphemistically known as the "Battle of
Norridgewock". Significantly, this war is referred to by a variety of
names by the Anglo-Saxons, including Father Rale's War or Governor
Dummer's War, while the Francophones commonly refer to it as Guerre
Anglo-Wabanaki. After the defeat of the French in the 1740s, the area
east of the Penobscot came under the nominal administration of the
province of Nova Scotia.
Disputes between British and Americans
then went from the American Revolutionary War to the War of 1812, which
lasted until 1814. British troops occupied Maine in both conflicts.
After US independence, Maine
was a part of the state of Massachusetts until 1820, although not
directly adjacent to it. For eight months in the War of 1812, Britain
occupied almost all of eastern Maine, intending to annex it permanently
for Canada. Even after the peace treaty of 1814, the border between
Canada and the USA remained unclear. It was separated from Massachusetts
by the Missouri Compromise, which provided that the slave state of
Missouri could be admitted to the Union if a non-slave-holding state was
also admitted at the same time in order to obtain a tie vote in the
United States Senate and on March 15 Admitted to the Union as the 23rd
state in 1820. Therefore, in addition to Maine, Massachusetts was also
involved, because a large part of the disputed area on Saint John and
Madawaska was still in its possession. The majority were of French
descent, while the settlers who arrived from the 1820s onwards were
mainly American and British, living predominantly on the Aroostook and
west of Saint John. The Francophones were so-called Brayons and
considered themselves members of the unofficial République du Madawaska.
On July 4, 1827, John Baker raised an American flag on the west bank of
Saint John near what is now Baker Brook. He declared his place of
residence the capital of the Republic of Madawaska, but was promptly
detained by the British colonial authorities pending the payment of a
fine. In the summer of 1830 troops were deployed and the British and
American foreign secretaries felt compelled to meet. King William I of
the Netherlands tried to mediate in the border dispute and London
accepted his proposal. But the state of Maine refused, President Andrew
Jackson was involved, and the Senate finally rejected the mediation
proposal.
Maine's capital was originally Portland until Augusta
took over that role in 1832. The final boundary with New Brunswick was
established in the Webster-Ashburton Treaty in 1842 after the Aroostook
War (1838-39). Up to that point, there had always been clashes. By
February 1839, Maine had sent a thousand volunteers to reinforce the
upper Aroostook. On the other side, British troops were massing, the
Mohawks were offering their support, and New Brunswick's forces were
massing at Saint John. There were around 32,000 armed men in the
disputed area.
Congress authorized a force of 50,000 men, while
Maine provided 3,000 to 10,000 militiamen. General Winfield Scott, who
had directed the forced displacement of the Cherokee, was posted to the
conflict region. He caused the Maine militias to be recalled and
exchanged for regular troops in May and June 1839. In late summer
construction began on Fort Fairfield and Fort Kent. In 1840 Maine formed
Aroostook County. Finally, the participating states agreed on a boundary
commission and on August 9, 1842 the Webster-Ashburton Treaty was
signed, ending the boundary disputes. He granted the United States
18,170 and Canada 12,890 km² of the disputed territory. The Brayons'
residential areas were divided, which in turn became the cause of
Maine's present-day bilingualism.
Maine
was the first state in the Northeast to support the anti-slavery
movement. During the Civil War (1861-1865), the people of Maine were
loyal to the Union and sent the highest percentage of soldiers per
state.
In the 20th century, Maine struggled with the decline of
the textile and shipping industries, making it the poorest state in the
Northeast.
Real per capita GDP was USD 44,518 in 2016 (national average for the
50 US states: USD 57,118; national ranking: 41). The unemployment rate
was 3.3% in November 2017 (national average: 4.1%).
Main
agricultural products are seafood (Maine lobster is famous), poultry,
eggs, potatoes, dairy products, cattle, blueberries and apples.
Industrial products are paper, wood and furniture, electronics, food,
leather and textiles. Maine is a tourist area for the big cities of the
American east coast (see tourism).
Furthermore, the 49 km ² large
and over 1600 men counting US Navy base Brunswick Naval Air Station in
Maine, which was the only military base in New England. Maritime
reconnaissance and transport units were stationed here. However, in
August 2005 it was decided that the base would be closed and its units
would be relocated to Florida.
A major tourist attraction in Maine is Acadia National Park,
established in 1929. With more than two million visitors a year, the
only national park in the New England states is one of the ten most
visited parks in the USA (as of 2003). Located on and around Mount
Desert Island, it offers stretches of coast and mountains up to 470
meters high with views of the island with its small lakes and countless
smaller islands.
Maine's coast also attracts tourists elsewhere.
Sandy beaches are found primarily in the south of the state at beach
towns such as York, Ogunquit, Wells Beach and Kennebunkport; however,
the water temperatures are around 12-14 °C even in summer. Rocky
sections predominate further north.
Maine has over 40 state parks
and state historic sites that welcome over two million visitors
annually.
rail transport
Despite the sparse population, the
state of Maine is still very well developed by railroads. The first
railroad, the Bangor and Piscataquis Canal and Railroad, ran as early as
November 1836, linking Bangor to Old Town. The further expansion of the
route network came mainly from Portland.
In 1842 the Portland,
Saco and Portsmouth Railroad opened the line to Portsmouth, which had
connections to Boston and thus to the rest of the US railroad network.
In 1846, the Atlantic and St. Lawrence Railroad opened the first leg of
the route to Montreal, which was completed in 1853. From 1849 to 1855,
the Portland–Bangor connection (later the Maine Central Railroad) went
into operation in sections. From 1851 Gorham was served by the York and
Cumberland Railroad, which reached Rochester in 1871. The connection to
Augusta was completed in 1852. From 1869, the Portland and Ogdensburg
Railway opened a railway in sections towards the White Mountains, which
went into operation in 1877 as far as Swanton (Vermont). In 1873 the
Boston and Maine Railroad opened a new main line towards Dover. Since
the many railroad companies that met in Portland each had their own
terminus, the city decided to build a common main station, which was
opened in 1888 by the Portland Union Railroad Station Company.
Bangor also developed into a railway junction. From 1868 to 1871, the
European and North American Railway built the route to Vanceboro and on
to New Brunswick. In 1874 the Eastern Maine Railway opened a route to
Bucksport, and in 1883 the Maine Shore Line Railroad opened a route to
Mount Desert Ferry. Finally, in 1905, the Northern Maine Seaport
Railroad opened the north-south bypass from South La Grange to
Searsport, which ran west of Bangor. The Bangor to Vanceboro and
Portland railways were like the Atlantic & St. Lawrence was initially
built with a gauge of 1676 millimeters ("colonial gauge"), but had to be
converted to the standard gauge (1435 mm) common in the USA by 1877 for
economic reasons.
The northeast of the state was developed from
1893 mainly by the Bangor and Aroostook Railroad. Numerous smaller
companies developed the less important traffic axes. In 1879 Maine began
to build narrow-gauge railways, which had a gauge of 2 feet (610 mm).
The dismantling of the railway network began in the late 1920s.
First, the narrow-gauge railways disappeared until 1943. Almost all of
the formerly important main routes are still in operation today, only
the routes from Portland to Portsmouth and to the White Mountains have
been closed. However, most branch lines fell victim to road competition
over time.
Passenger service only resumed after a 35-year hiatus
on December 5, 2001, when Amtrak began operating the Boston-Portland
Express service. The service runs four times a day, using the route of
the former Boston and Maine Railroad. Freight traffic on the surviving
network is mainly handled by the Montreal, Maine and Atlantic Railway
(in the north) and the Pan Am Railways. In addition there are the local
companies Eastern Maine Railway, Maine Eastern Railroad, New Hampshire
Northcoast and the St. Lawrence and Atlantic Railroad as well as the
shunting company Turners Island LLC. As of December 31, 2005, there was
a total route network of 1,869 km. In 2005 around seven million tons of
goods were moved with a total of 101,652 truckloads. The most important
transported goods were paper products.