We are so familiar with the map of the United States that our state borders
seem as much a part of nature as mountains and rivers. Even the oddities.
the entire state of Maryland(!).have become so engrained that our map might
as well be a giant jigsaw puzzle designed by Divine Providence. But that's
where the real mystery begins. Every edge of the familiar wooden jigsaw
pieces of our childhood represents a revealing moment of history and of,
well, humans drawing lines in the sand.

How the States Got Their Shapes is the first book to tackle why our state
lines are where they are. Here are the stories behind the stories, right
down to the tiny northward jog at the eastern end of Tennessee and the
teeny-tiny (and little known) parts of Delaware that are not attached to
Delaware but to New Jersey.

How the States Got Their Shapes examines:

* Why West Virginia has a finger creeping up the side of Pennsylvania
* Why Michigan has an upper peninsula that isn't attached to Michigan
* Why some Hawaiian islands are not Hawaii
* Why Texas and California are so outsized, especially when so many
Midwestern states are nearly identical in size

Packed with fun oddities and trivia, this entertaining guide also reveals
the major fault lines of American history, from ideological intrigues and
religious intolerance to major territorial acquisitions. Adding the fresh
lens of local geographic disputes, military skirmishes, and land grabs,
Mark Stein shows how the seemingly haphazard puzzle pieces of our nation
fit together perfectly.

Download File Size:4.36 MB

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