State Capitals

[-Jrabbit]

Do you know all the state capitals? Even the tricky ones, like Wisconsin's.

Last time I was asked, yes. I also know the early (pre-Springfield) state capitals of Illinois (Kaskaskia and Vandalia).

I also remember my high school locker combination, plus my gym locker combo. Oh, and all my phone numbers. 59 years' worth.

Useless information has always had a high retention rate in my brain.

[Ming]

I'd forgotten a few, but then had to drill my daughter on them for a test she was taking... now I know them again. More useless information clogging up the ole brain

[N35t0r]

You had the hut/special layouts memorized...

[MrFun]

No, I am not able to rattle off the top of my head the capital for each of the fifty states. But here are ones that I can remember right now:

Honolulu, Hawaii
Des Moines, Iowa
Springfield, Illinois
Sacramento, California
Austin, Texas
New York City, New York
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Providence, Rhode Island
Tallahassee, Florida
Atlanta, Georgia
Raleigh, South Carolina
Nashville, Tennessee
Madison, Wisconsin
Columbus, Ohio
Phoenix, Arizona
Reno, Nevada
Salt Lake City, Utah
Denver, Colorado
Little Rock, Arkansas
Baton Rogue, Louisiana

Anyone feel free to correct me if I got any of the above wrong.

I tried to think of Washington and Oregon, but I couldn't remember. For Washington, I'm thinking Seattle, but not 100 percent certain. Not every state has their biggest, metropolitan city as their capital.

[SlowwHand]

Like Texas.

[snoopy369]

Um, MrFun, I think it would be shorter to list the ones you did get right... Raleigh isn't even in South Carolina (at least, the major city), but in North... NYC? Really?

I probably would get about 30 right if I hadn't just read this thread. Never cared about memorization much.

[Ben Kenobi]

Um, MrFun, I think it would be shorter to list the ones you did get right... Raleigh isn't even in South Carolina (at least, the major city), but in North... NYC? Really?

Remember Mr. Fun has a master's degree in History.

[MrFun]

Um, MrFun, I think it would be shorter to list the ones you did get right... Raleigh isn't even in South Carolina (at least, the major city), but in North... NYC? Really?

I probably would get about 30 right if I hadn't just read this thread. Never cared about memorization much.

Yeah, I came back to mention I made a mistake with New York; it's Albany.

[snoopy369]

Also, "Not every state has their biggest, metropolitan city as their capital."

Most states with very large metropolitan cities do not have that city as their capital. Go down the list of largest cities...
NYC, LA, Chicago, Houston, Philadelphia, none of which are capitals. Phoenix is the first that is a capital at 6th, and then Indianapolis is the next at 12th. The 'biggest city is capital' is only true where there's only really one big city (Iowa) or when the capital is large because it's the capital, really. In many states (Illinois being a great example) the capital is very intentionally not the biggest city, because that city already has an outsized influence on state politics; allowing the state capital to be in that city would be unfair to the rest of the state. Keeping it in Springfield (where it was historically), in a somewhat central location, is best since it equalizes the influence. Similar to making the US capital Washington, DC rather than NYC or Philadelphia.

Also, MrFun was a history major, not a geography major. I don't see why the two need to be linked. History is the study of things that happened, not largely irrelevant factoids of political geography.

[regexcellent]

In most states the capital was positioned because it was first to be settled, or in a central location in the state providing reasonable access for citizens throughout, or in a location that affords easy transportation access by sea or river. Those are all much more important considerations than how big the city is. Really, the capital of a state can be anywhere that has enough local services for the legislators, the governor, and their staff. Being the biggest, most recognizable city in the state isn't a priority at all.

Many state capitals on the East Coast are located along the fall line on major rivers, which is the head of navigation. As in, around the time the cities were founded, ocean-going ships could get up to the fall line on the rivers and no higher. Some examples of this are Albany in New York, Philadelphia in Pennsylvania, Richmond in Virginia, and Columbia in South Carolina.

[SlowwHand]

Also, "Not every state has their biggest, metropolitan city as their capital."

The 'biggest city is capital' is only true where there's only really one big city (Iowa) or when the capital is large because it's the capital, really. In many states (Illinois being a great example) the capital is very intentionally not the biggest city, because that city already has an outsized influence on state politics; allowing the state capital to be in that city would be unfair to the rest of the state. Keeping it in Springfield (where it was historically), in a somewhat central location, is best since it equalizes the influence. Similar to making the US capital Washington, DC rather than NYC or Philadelphia.

It's all relative, isn't it? Biggest in Iowa doesn't necessarily mean big. It just means less corn visible.

[Ben Kenobi]

Yeah, it was that way up to 1810 or so. If you were to do that today - you'd put it in St. Louis. The US centre of population as of 2010 was 150 miles south and west of St. Louis.

The next best choices would be Kansas City (180 miles), North and West. Tulsa, Oklahoma at 250 miles, South and West, Little Rock, 280 miles South; Memphis, 280 miles South and East. Paducah, 280 miles East, Wichita (300 miles) West, and Des Moines, some 330 miles north. It's actually only about 100 miles north of Arkansas, and 150 East of Oklahoma.

It will be interesting when the US centre of population is in the South. It hasn't been that way since the Civil war.

[MrFun]

Also, MrFun was a history major, not a geography major. I don't see why the two need to be linked. History is the study of things that happened, not largely irrelevant factoids of political geography.

There's also the fact that I'm human and I make mistakes sometimes.

[MrFun]

In most states the capital was positioned because it was first to be settled, or in a central location in the state providing reasonable access for citizens throughout, or in a location that affords easy transportation access by sea or river. Those are all much more important considerations than how big the city is. Really, the capital of a state can be anywhere that has enough local services for the legislators, the governor, and their staff. Being the biggest, most recognizable city in the state isn't a priority at all.

Many state capitals on the East Coast are located along the fall line on major rivers, which is the head of navigation. As in, around the time the cities were founded, ocean-going ships could get up to the fall line on the rivers and no higher. Some examples of this are Albany in New York, Philadelphia in Pennsylvania, Richmond in Virginia, and Columbia in South Carolina.

yep

[giblets]

The only way you can get "the mean center of population hasn't been in the South since the Civil War" is if you classify West Virginia as part of the South but classify Kentucky as not being part of the South.