History UsefulNotes / Maine

** ''Series/WetHotAmericanSummerFirstDayOfCamp''
** ''Series/WetHotAmericanSummerTenYearsLater''

Maine (pronounced like "main") was originally part of UsefulNotes/{{Massachusetts}}, making it one of four states split off from the territory of an already-existing state.[[note]]The others would be Tennessee (from North Carolina), Kentucky, and West Virginia (both from Virginia)[[/note]] Its northern border with Canada was actually not fixed until the UsefulNotes/WarOf1812 ended with the Treaty of Ghent, and even then local farmers in northern Maine and southern New Brunswick fought over the exact border in the now-obscure Aroostook "War" (more like a neighborly squabble, since no one actually fought each other) in the 1830s. Like most states added in the first half of the 19th century, it was admitted as part of the Missouri Compromise to admit new states in pairs, one slave and one free, to keep a balance between the two increasingly-bitterly-divided factions in Congress (we all know [[UsefulNotes/AmericanCivilWar how that plan worked out]]). Not that Mainers were against leaving Massachusetts, seeing as they were consistently left out of the state's politics and their interests were often ignored on account of being cut off by New Hampshire.

* ''Film/PetesDragon1977''

* ''Series/OnceUponATime''

* As mentioned above, almost all of Stephen King's works are set in Maine, most notably:
** Literature/{{Carrie}}
** Film/It2017
** Literature/SalemsLot
** Literature/PetSematary
** Literature/DoloresClaiborne
** Literature/{{Cujo}}
** Film/TheShawshankRedemption
* Literature/TheCiderHouseRules
* WesternAnimation/TheIronGiant
* Series/OnceUponATime

The easternmost of the Lower 48 states, and the northernmost east of the Great Lakes.[[note]]It looks like it's farther north than the Washington-to-Minnesota northern border, but that's an artifact of map projection.[[/note]] Famous for its lighthouses, lobster, forests, and being the home state of and [[WriteWhatYouKnow setting of almost all books]] written by Creator/StephenKing.

Maine (pronounced like "main") was originally part of the state of Massachusetts, making it one of four states split off from the territory of an already existing state[[note]]The others would be Tennessee (from North Carolina), Kentucky, and West Virginia (both from Virginia)[[/note]]. Its northern border with Canada was actually not fixed until the UsefulNotes/WarOf1812 ended with the Treaty of Ghent, and even then local farmers in northern Maine and southern New Brunswick fought over the exact border in the now-obscure Aroostook "War" (more like a neighborly squabble, since no one actually fought each other) in the 1830s. Like most states added in the first half of the 19th century, it was admitted as part of the Missouri Compromise to admit new states in pairs, one slave and one free, to keep a balance between the two increasingly-bitterly-divided factions in Congress (we all know [[UsefulNotes/AmericanCivilWar how that plan worked out]]). Not that Mainers were against leaving Massachusetts, seeing as they were consistently left out of the state's politics and their interests were often ignored on account of being cut off by New Hampshire.

* Film/TheShawshankRedemption

* WesternAnimation/TheIronGiant

And no, there's no town named Series/CastleRock, though someone will probably try to found one eventually.

In politics, Maine was once considered a key bellwether state; its state elections were held in September rather than November, giving an early indicator of sentiments and leading to the saying, "As Maine goes, so goes the nation." This bellwether status faded after Maine voted for a Republican governor in 1932, then became one of only two states to vote for Republican Alf Landon instead of Democrat UsefulNotes/FranklinDRoosevelt. Maine evolved over the 20th century from a Republican-leaning state to a swing state to a Democratic-leaning state with some unique political quirks. It has voted for the Democratic presidential candidate in every election going back to 1992. Its current senators are Republican Susan Collins and independent Angus King, the latter of whom caucuses with the Democratic party (he effectively votes like a normal Democrat, but Mainers like having one of the two independent Senators). Its governor, Janet Mills, is a Democrat. State and local elections are generally competitive; Collins faced a serious challenge from Democrat Sara Gideon in 2020 and pulled out a victory at the same time Democrat Joe Biden cruised to an easy victory in the state, and Mills defeated Republican Shawn Moody in 2018. Many Mainers pride themselves on their state's (and their own) bipartisan nature. It's also one of the two states (the other being Nebraska) that conventionally splits its electoral votes by proportion of popular vote, rather than using the winner-take-all model used by everyone else; it split its 4 electoral votes in the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections, with 3 going to the Democrat candidates and 1 to UsefulNotes/DonaldTrump. Maine is more willing than most states to support and even elect independent candidates -- King served as Governor from 1995-2003 as an independent, for example. This support of independent candidates has led to Maine becoming the first state to use ranked-choice voting for statewide primaries and for both primaries and general elections for Federal offices.[[note]]Use of ranked-choice voting for statewide general elections was found to be a violation of the state constitution by the state supreme court.[[/note]]

In politics, Maine evolved over the 20th century from a Republican-leaning state to a swing state to a Democratic-leaning state with some unique political quirks. It has voted for the Democratic presidential candidate in every election going back to 1992. Its current senators are Republican Susan Collins and independent Angus King, the latter of whom caucuses with the Democratic party (he effectively votes like a normal Democrat, but Mainers like having one of the two independent Senators). Its governor, Janet Mills, is a Democrat. State and local elections are generally competitive; Collins faced a serious challenge from Democrat Sara Gideon in 2020 and pulled out a victory at the same time Democrat Joe Biden cruised to an easy victory in the state, and Mills defeated Republican Shawn Moody in 2018. Many Mainers pride themselves on their state's (and their own) bipartisan nature. It's also one of the two states (the other being Nebraska) that conventionally splits its electoral votes by proportion of popular vote, rather than using the winner-take-all model used by everyone else; it split its 4 electoral votes in the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections, with 3 going to the Democrat candidates and 1 to UsefulNotes/DonaldTrump. Maine is more willing than most states to support and even elect independent candidates -- King served as Governor from 1995-2003 as an independent, for example.

In politics, Maine evolved over the 20th century from a Republican-leaning state to a swing state to a Democratic-leaning state with some unique political quirks. Its current senators are Republican Susan Collins and independent Angus King, the latter of whom caucuses with the Democratic party (he effectively votes like a normal Democrat, but Mainers like having one of the two independent Senators). Its governor, Janet Mills, is a Democrat. State and local elections are generally competitive; Collins faced a serious challenge from Democrat Sara Gideon in 2020 and pulled out a victory at the same time Democrat Joe Biden cruised to an easy victory in the state, and Mills defeated Republican Shawn Moody in 2018. Many Mainers pride themselves on their state's (and their own) bipartisan nature. It's also one of the two states (the other being Nebraska) that conventionally splits its electoral votes by proportion of popular vote, rather than using the winner-take-all model used by everyone else; it split its 4 electoral votes in the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections, with 3 going to the Democrat candidates and 1 to UsefulNotes/DonaldTrump. Maine is more willing than most states to support and even elect independent candidates -- King served as Governor from 1995-2003 as an independent, for example.

In politics, Maine is generally regarded as one of two true swing states in New England (the other being New Hampshire). Its current senators are Republican Susan Collins and independent Angus King, the latter of whom caucuses with the Democratic party[[note]]Yes, this functionally makes King a Democrat, but it's a very important distinction to locals to have one of two independents in the Senate[[/note]], and its governor, Janet Mills, is a Democrat. State and local elections are generally competitive; Collins faced a serious challenge from Democrat Sara Gideon in 2020, and Mills defeated Republican Shawn Moody in 2018. Many Mainers proud themselves on their state's (and their own) bipartisan nature. It's also one of the two states (the other being Nebraska) that conventionally splits its electoral votes by proportion of popular vote, rather than using the winner-take-all model used by everyone else; it split its 4 electoral votes in the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections, with 3 going to the Democrat candidates and 1 to UsefulNotes/DonaldTrump.

In politics, Maine is generally regarded as one of two true swing states in New England (the other being New Hampshire). Its current senators are Republican Susan Collins and independent Angus King, the latter of whom caucuses with the Democratic party[[note]]Yes, this functionally makes King a Democrat, but it's a very important distinction to locals to have one of two independents in the Senate[[/note]], and its governor, Janet Mills, is a Democrat. State and local elections are generally competitive; Collins faced a serious challenge from Democrat Sara Gideon in 2020, and Mills defeated Republican Paul [=LePage=] in 2018. Many Mainers proud themselves on their state's (and their own) bipartisan nature. It's also one of the two states (the other being Nebraska) that conventionally splits its electoral votes by proportion of popular vote, rather than using the winner-take-all model used by everyone else; it split its 4 electoral votes in the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections, with 3 going to the Democrat candidates and 1 to UsefulNotes/DonaldTrump.

The easternmost of the Lower 48 states, and the northernmost east of the Great Lakes.[[note]]It looks like it's farther north than the Washington-to-Minnesota northern border, but that's an artifact of map projection.[[/note]] Famous for its lighthouses, lobster, forests, and [[WriteWhatYouKnow being the setting of almost all books]] written by Creator/StephenKing.

The northernmost and easternmost of the Lower 48 states, famous for its lighthouses, lobster, forests, and [[WriteWhatYouKnow being the setting of almost all books]] written by Creator/StephenKing.

Maine (pronounced like "main") was originally part of the state of Massachusetts, making it one of four states split off from the territory of an already existing state.[[note]]The others would be Tennessee (from North Carolina), Kentucky, and West Virginia (both from Virginia)[[/note]]. Its northern border with Canada was actually not fixed until the UsefulNotes/WarOf1812 ended with the Treaty of Ghent, and even then local farmers in northern Maine and southern New Brunswick fought over the exact border in the now-obscure Aroostook "War" (more like a neighborly squabble, since no one actually fought each other) in the 1830s. Like most states added in the first half of the 19th century, it was admitted as part of the Missouri Compromise to admit new states in pairs, one slave and one free, to keep a balance between the two increasingly-bitterly-divided factions in Congress (we all know [[UsefulNotes/AmericanCivilWar how that plan worked out]]). Not that Mainers were against leaving Massachusetts, seeing as they were consistently left out of the state's politics and their interests were often ignored on account of being cut off by New Hampshire.

Maine (pronounced like "main") was originally part of the state of Massachusetts, making it one of four states split off from the territory of an already existing state. The others would be Tennessee[[note]]from North Carolina[[/note]], Kentucky, and West Virginia[[note]]both from Virginia[[/note]]. Its northern border with Canada was actually not fixed until the UsefulNotes/WarOf1812 ended with the Treaty of Ghent. Like most states added in the first half of the 19th century, it was admitted as part of the Missouri Compromise to admit new states in pairs, one slave and one free, to keep a balance between the two increasingly-bitterly-divided factions in Congress (we all know [[UsefulNotes/AmericanCivilWar how that plan worked out]]). Not that Mainers were against it, seeing as how being disconnected by land from the main part of Massachusetts meant they were consistently left out of the state's politics and their interests were often ignored.

Economically, Maine's history has always been inseparable from the maritime industry. The waters off the coast offer bountiful fish and other seafood, and Portland sits on an excellent natural harbor. One explanation for its name is that it's a shortening of "mainland," as most early European settlers lived on islands off the coast and hence were constantly referencing the nearby territory as "the mainland." Put as much stock in that explanation as you deem appropriate. The coast of Maine is indeed dotted with islands of varying size and import, hence the abundance of lighthouses trying to help ships navigate through such treacherous waters. Relatedly, shipbuilding has historically been a major sector of the state's economy as well, with two major U.S. shipyards being located there. In recent years, however, shipbuilding has been increasingly outsourced, leading to a decline in the sector. The forests of the north have also provided ample wealth, providing resources for paper and construction lumber.

In politics, Maine is generally regarded as one of two true swing states in New England (the other being New Hampshire). Its current senators are Republican Susan Collins and independent Angus King, the latter of whom caucuses with the Democratic party[[note]]Yes, this functionally makes King a Democrat, but it's a very important distinction to locals to have one of two independents in the Senate[[/note]], and its governor, Janet Mills, is a Democrat. State and local elections are generally competitive; Collins faced a serious challenge from Democrat Sara Gideon in 2020, and Mills defeated Republican Paul [=LePage=] in 2018. Many Mainers proud themselves on their state's (and their own) bipartisan nature. It's also one of the two states (the other being Nebraska) that conventionally splits its electoral votes by proportion of popular vote, rather than using the winner-take-all model used by everyone else; fittingly, it split its 4 electoral votes in the 2020 presidential election, with 3 going to Joe Biden and 1 to Donald Trump.

And no, there's no town named Castle Rock. Though someone will probably try to found one eventually.

In politics, Maine is generally regarded as one of two true swing states in New England (the other being New Hampshire). Its current senators are Republican Susan Collins and independent Angus King, the latter of whom caucuses with the Democratic party[[note]]Yes, this functionally makes King a Democrat, but it's a very important distinction to locals to have one of two independents in the Senate[[/note]], and its governor, Janet Mills, is a Democrat. State and local elections are generally competitive; Collins faced a serious challenge from Democrat Sara Gideon in 2020, and Mills defeated Republican Paul [=LePage=] in 2018. Many Mainers proud themselves on their state's (and their own) bipartisan nature. It's also one of the two states (the other being Nebraska) that conventionally splits its electoral votes by proportion of popular vote, rather than using the winner-take-all model used by everyone else; fittingly, it split its 4 electoral votes in the 2020 presidential election, with 3 going to Joe Biden and 1 to Donald Trump.

In politics, Maine is generally regarded as one of two true swing states in New England (the other being New Hampshire). Its current senators are Republican Susan Collins and independent Angus King, the latter of whom caucuses with the Democratic party[[note]]Yes, this functionally makes King a Democrat, but it's a very important distinction to locals to have one of two independents in the Senate[[/note]], and its governor, Janet Mills, is a Democrat. State and local elections are generally competitive; Collins faced a serious challenge from Democrat Sara Gideon in 2020, and Mills defeated Republican Paul [=LePage=] in 2018. Many Mainers proud themselves on their state's (and their own) bipartisan nature.

Maine's population is heavily clustered in the south near the New Hampshire border, where sits its largest metro area, Greater Portland; the capital, Augusta, is a bit further north. Northern Maine is extremely remote, with Northwest Aroostook, nearly of the state's largest county by area, boasting a population of ''ten people.'' This makes it an attractive setting for LovecraftCountry and other "New England Gothic" horror fiction, imparting the perfect sense of isolation.