Автор: Mark Stein
Название: How the States Got Their Shapes
Издательство: Harper Paperbacks
Год: 2009
ISBN: 9780061431395
Язык: English
Формат: pdf, epub, mobi
Размер: 16,6 mb
Страниц: 352
Why does Oklahoma have that panhandle? Did someone make a mistake?
Everyone is so familiar with the map of the United States that the 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 the 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 represents a revealing moment of history and of, well, humans drawing lines in the sand.
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.