ansas ▁and ▁Louisiana . ▁The ▁state ▁of ▁Del aware ▁plus ▁the ▁District ▁of ▁Columbia ▁are ▁also ▁sometimes ▁added ▁in ▁some ▁definitions ▁of ▁the ▁term . ▁ ▁History ▁▁▁ ▁The ▁history ▁of ▁human ▁presence ▁in ▁the ▁S out he astern ▁United ▁States ▁extends ▁to ▁before ▁the ▁dawn ▁of ▁civil ization ▁about ▁ 1 1 , 0 0 0 ▁BC . ▁The ▁earliest ▁artifact s ▁were ▁from ▁the ▁Clo vis ▁culture . ▁▁ ▁Prior ▁to ▁the ▁arrival ▁of ▁Europe ans , ▁Native ▁Americans ▁of ▁the ▁Wood land ▁period ▁tradition ▁occupied ▁the ▁region ▁for ▁several ▁hundred ▁years . ▁▁ ▁The ▁first ▁Europe ans ▁to ▁arrive ▁in ▁the ▁region ▁were ▁conquist adors ▁of ▁the ▁Spanish ▁Empire . ▁In ▁ 1 5 4 1 , ▁Hern ando ▁de ▁S oto ▁journey ed ▁through ▁the ▁south ▁and ▁crossed ▁the ▁Mississippi ▁River . ▁▁ ▁The ▁region ▁hosted ▁the ▁first ▁permanent ▁European ▁settlement ▁in ▁North ▁America , ▁by ▁the ▁Kingdom ▁of ▁England ▁at ▁Jam est own , ▁Virginia ▁in ▁ 1 6 0 7 . ▁▁ ▁Prior ▁to ▁and ▁during ▁the ▁American ▁Civil ▁War ▁( 1 8 6 1 - 1 8 6 5 ), ▁the ▁Confeder ate ▁States ▁of ▁America ▁consisted ▁of ▁the ▁sout he astern ▁states ▁plus ▁Texas , ▁i . e ., ▁Florida , ▁Alabama , ▁Georgia , ▁Mississippi , ▁Tennessee , ▁South ▁Carolina , ▁North ▁Carolina , ▁Virginia , ▁Louisiana , ▁Ark ansas , ▁and ▁Texas . ▁Kentucky ▁and ▁Maryland ▁were ▁neutral ▁border ▁states ▁that ▁eventually ▁joined ▁the ▁Union . ▁ ▁Much ▁of ▁the ▁S out heast