when was the last time the us added a state
Territorial evolution of the United States Regarding internal borders, while territories could shift wildly in size, once established a state has commonly remained within its borders, barring small changes due to river shifts. Only four states - Maine, Kentucky, Vermont, and West Virginia - have been created from land claimed by another state; all of the others were created from territories or directly from acquisitions. The last state of the contiguous United States, commonly called the "lower 48," was admitted in 1912; the fiftieth and most recent state was admitted in 1959.
Admission to the Union The Admission to the Union Clause of the United States Constitution, oftentimes called the New States Clause, and found at Article IV, Section 3, Clause 1, authorizes the Congress to admit new states into the United States beyond the thirteen already in existence at the time the Constitution went into effect.