How the States Got Their Shapes

Zusatztext “In this highly informative and engaging book, Mark Stein shows that the perimeters of the fifty states - familiar icons on license plates, tourist brochures, and government letterheads - are not just meaningless shapes. Stein’s carefully researched trove of regional histories embedded in our national map will delight history buffs, map enthusiasts, and anyone intrigued with political landscapes and American geography.” Informationen zum Autor Mark Stein is a playwright and screenwriter. His plays have been performed off-Broadway and at theaters throughout the country. His films include Housesitter , with Steve Martin and Goldie Hawn. He has taught writing and drama at American University and Catholic University and lives in Washington, D.C. Klappentext Mark Stein is a playwright and screenwriter. His plays have been performed off-Broadway and at theaters throughout the country. His films include Housesitter , with Steve Martin and Goldie Hawn. He has taught at American University and Catholic University. Zusammenfassung New York Times Bestseller "Give me the splendid irregularities any day. God bless the panhandles and notches, the West Virginias and Oklahomas." -- Wall Street Journal Why does Oklahoma have that panhandle? Did someone make a mistake? 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 ingrained that our map might as well be a giant jigsaw puzzle designed by Divine Providence. 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. 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. ...

Product details

• Authors: Mark Stein, Stein Mark
• Publisher: Harper Collins Usa
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 07.04.2009
• EAN: 9780061431395
• ISBN: 978-0-06-143139-5
• No. of pages: 352
• Dimensions: 135 mm x 205 mm x 20 mm
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > History > Regional and national histories; Non-fiction book; HISTORY / Military / General, HISTORY / World, HISTORY / Social History, HISTORY / Historical Geography, HISTORY / North America, HISTORY / United States / 19th Century, HISTORY / Reference, 19th century, c 1800 to c 1899, Social and cultural history, United States of America, USA, General and world history, North America (USA and Canada), HISTORY: WORLD, HISTORY: Social History, HISTORY: United States / 19th Century, HISTORY: North America, HISTORY: United States / State & Local / General, HISTORY: Reference, HISTORY: Military / General, SCIENCE: History, SCIENCE: Natural History, HISTORY: Historical Geography