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American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America is a book by journalist Colin Woodard, published by Penguin Books in 2011. The central thesis of the book is that far from being a unified nation originated from common beginnings, the United States emerged from 11 distinct “nations,” each defined by their own histories, cultures, and sets of common assumptions about government and life. The book was well received and won a number of awards including being named one of the best books of 2011 by The New Republic.

The Eleven Nations
Throughout the book, Woodard gives a description of each of the distinct eleven nations.

Yankeedom

First settled by radical Calvinists and possessing what Woodard called, a “utopian streak,” Yankeedom, includes all of the Northeast United States north of NYC as well as Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota is the oldest of the 11 nations. What it values most are intellectualism, education, community empowerment, and democratic participation in government. Although it tolerates (and even encourages government regulation and interventionism, its members count themselves as fierce defenders of liberty and the enemy of tyranny everywhere.