How the States Got Their Shapes
by Mark Stein
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Book Summary Information
Author: Mark SteinEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2008-05-27
ISBN: 0061431389
Number of pages: 352
Publisher: Smithsonian
Book Reviews of How the States Got Their Shapes
Book Review: A Quick Look at the Reasons for Boundary Twists, Turns, and Quirks
Summary: 4 Stars
This book describes more boundary quirks than you have probably ever noticed. If nothing else, you'll know the edges of your state better after looking at this research work.
There are overall explanations that account for the bulk of the boundaries such as the original colonial charters from England and other nations, foreign treaties (such as the one ending the French and Indian War), land purchases (such as the ones for Louisiana and Alaska), borders inherited from England and Spain, borders developed by independent nations (Texas and California), borders affected by slavery (including West Virginia seceding from Virginia), and lines that were disputed and resolved among various states.
You'll learn about surveying mistakes, battles over resources, disagreements about which river branch is the main one, and lots of goofy compromises.
In checking out the states where I have lived, I found only one surprise that I didn't know about. So you may not learn as much as you hope about your home area. But you'll probably learn a lot about places where you rarely go.
If you read this book just for two or three states, that's a mistake. The information isn't all that details or well documented. Check it out of the library if that's your intention.
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