Book Review: How the States Got Their Shapes
How the States Got Their Shapes
Mark Stein
How the States Got Their Shapes is an interesting historical look at the reason behind why each state is shaped the way it is. It is easy to take for granted the shapes and not understand the intricate reasons both at times rational and non-rational that they are formed the way they are today. From the panhandle of Oklahoma to why some islands are not part of Hawaii, Mr. Stein looks at each state in alphabetical order examining the reasons.
Mr. Stein is very careful to not dwell for a long period on any one individual state and spends enough time on states like Wyoming, that seem to be relatively simple to explain. We learn about why Washington, DC is not four sides (introducing the reader to the term “retrocession”), why Michigan has the upper peninsula (political clout over Wisconsin at the time) and even to understanding the reasons why Idaho is strangely shaped (an idea of how one person can influence change).
There is a general information chapter at the start of the book entitled “Do Not Skip This” which introduces the reader to some of the rationale behind our borders with Canada and some of the historical ideas on state creation that have gone on. He addresses the 49th parallel in this chapter along with the Mason/Dixon line and the various Free/Slave State rules that congress used in the 1800s.
Each chapter is a delightful read and he makes sure to readdress certain reasons within each state affected by the decision. So where the western states of Montana, South and North Dakota, Utah, Colorado, and Wyoming all have a certain reason behind their shape, he addresses the commonality of that reason in each chapter without making it seem like he was just filling space by reusing the same explanation.
I have always been curious as to why the states have the shapes they do and this book finally answers those questions and also clarified some misconceptions that I had about the states. For example, I thought Hawaii was a cut and dry example, yet Mr. Stein explained that there are islands that logically should be a part of the state and are not.
The book is a quick and entertaining read and would be interesting not only to the avid lover of American history, but also to the casual historian.
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