By the early twentieth century, which statement about state admissions is true?

• A. All present-day continental United States states had been admitted
• B. Only eastern states had been admitted
• C. No new states had been admitted since 1900
• D. Alaska and Hawaii were the only new states admitted

Answer: (A)

As the country grew, admissions of new states tracked the westward and political expansion of the United States. The term “present-day continental United States” refers to the 48 states on the North American continent, excluding Alaska and Hawaii.

By the early twentieth century, all of those continental states had been admitted. The last two contiguous states, Arizona and New Mexico, joined in 1912, completing the 48-state continental bloc. Alaska and Hawaii, meanwhile, would not become states until 1959. That’s why the statement about state admissions being true is that the continental United States were fully admitted by that time—the non-contiguous additions came later.

The other options don’t fit because admissions continued westward well into the nineteenth century (and beyond), Oklahoma joined in 1907, and New Mexico and Arizona followed in 1912, so it wasn’t true that no new states were admitted after 1900, nor that only eastern states were admitted, nor that Alaska and Hawaii were the only new states.