galaxy - How do I see more than just points in the sky?

I just bought a new telescope with these specifications:

• Aperture: 203 mm


• Focal Length: 1200 mm


• F/ratio: f/5.9

I usually use a 28 mm eyepiece, giving me about 42.5x magnification, but I also have a 20 mm and a 10 mm eyepiece.

I was trying to find Messier objects, but I only found the Orion Nebula, and even then it wasn't very impressive. I was wondering, what types of objects are see-able in my telescope? I read that Charles Messier found the Messier objects using a four-inch refractor, and I have an 8 inch reflecting telescope.

When I tried to find things like the pinwheel galaxy, or the crab nebula, I only saw points of light. So basically, how do I see things like nebula and galaxies?
For reference, I live in the midwestern United States.