Washington

Inhabited by Native Americans who relied heavily on fishing, the first Europeans who arrived in the Pacific northwest state of Washington were the Spanish in 1775. Gradually, Europeans started settling in parts of the state, and the population grew, allowing it to become admitted to the Union on November 11, 1889. Washington was named after U.S. president George Washington and is the only U.S. state named after a president.

Many Native Americans in Washington State retain aspects of their traditional lifestyles. Most have large extended families with older relatives being able to pass on their skills to new mothers for maternity, birthing, and bringing up children. By contrast, initially many of the white settlers came individually or in small families, although over time, in a predominantly ...