How the states got their shapes / Mark Stein.

How the states got their shapes / Mark Stein.

9780061431388
0061431389

New York : Smithsonian Books/Collins, 2008.

English

xv, 332 pages : maps ; 24 cm

E180 .S74 2008

917.3
973

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. But 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. This is the first book to tackle why our state lines are where they are. Packed with 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.--From publisher description.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

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