1. Oregonia (Capital: Portland)
To my mind Washington and Oregon are pretty similar, liberal Pacific northwestern states. Makes sense they should join together. Name chosen based on the uniqueness of Oregon as a place name as opposed to Washington, but ‘ia’ added to separate it from the former state of Oregon.
2. New California (Capital: Sacramento)
California is pretty big already, but with Nevada’s close links to the state and low population it moves together with it.
3. Montania (Capital: Boise)
The northern Rocky states join together in a union of big skies and big land. Montana describes the region best but a differentiation must be made from the old state.
4. Arizonia (Capital: Phoenix)
The southern Rocky states similarly unite into a sunny melting pot of Native, Anglo and Hispanic culture. Same naming principle as above.
5. Dakota (Capital: Minneapolis)
The cold and frozen north joins in a Native-Scandinavian alliance. (Michigan is the only state split in my proposal, with the Upper Peninsula throwing its lot in with Wisconsin and its buddies.)
6. Plainsia (Capital: Kansas City (both of them))
The new heartland in many ways, slap bang in the middle of the county
7. New Texas (Capital: Dallas)
Bonds with Oklahoma and Arkansas over love of big space and cowboys (stereotyping, moi?)
8. Milinoh (Capital: Chicago)
Industrial, moderate politically, inland, Milinoh represents much of the Great Lakes region. Close ties to Dakota and Plainsia.
9. The South (Capital: Atlanta)
Naturally these states will group together, but I’ve split the Deep South apart, mostly to avoid the region becoming unmanageably big
10. Deep South (Capital: New Orleans)
Hot & steamy, should be lots of fun
11. New Florida (Capital: Miami)
Joins with Puerto Rico (which really deserves to be part of the US proper) in a sunny Caribbean alliance. US Atlantic territories become part of New Florida too. Also known as Nueva Florida, Spanish-speakers didn’t want to corrupt the name by making it Floridia.
12. New England (Capital: Boston)
These states already have a distinct collective identity so will probably take very easily to a larger statehood, much like Oregonia.
13. The East (Capital: New York, with some complaints from Philadelphia)
Consists of the remaining East Coast states that culturally don’t fit into the surrounding regions. Connecticut chose to maintain its ties to New York over Boston, and D.C. joins on purely geographical notions. New Yorkers can still travel upstate, only now they can hit former Pennsylvania as well.
14. Hawaii (Capital: Honolulu)
Incorporates all other US Pacific territories into an island alliance.
15. Alaska (Capital: Anchorage)
Suggestions are made that it joins Oregonia but for the time being the geographical isolation from the rest of the US keeps Alaska is the fifteenth state.