How the States Got Their Shapes
Watch How the States Got Their Sh... Season 1
Episode 10
10. Mouthing Off
aired: Tue, Jul 12, 2011
We all live in the same country, so why do we sound do different? It's a matter of where you are on the map. Why didn't the southern accent exist until after the Civil War? How did California athletes end up coining so many new words? Why do we have so many different words for the same things -- like pop versus soda?
Episode 9
9. Culture Clash
aired: Tue, Jul 5, 2011
Will rivalries within our states break them into pieces? Cultures compete against each other all over the map. In extreme cases, they can divide states in two. How did World War II preserve the shape of California? Will part of Maine break off and become Northern Massachusetts? And as new cultures move into Florida, will the state's cowboy tradition get pushed off the map?
Episode 8
8. A Boom With a View
aired: Tue, Jun 28, 2011
Did money make our map? Through boom and through bust, the sweet smell of profit has drawn and redrawn our states. How did Green Bay help carve our border with Canada? What does football have to do with fur? Is North Carolina the real "Golden State"? And why should we all move to North Dakota?
Episode 7
7. Church and States
aired: Tue, Jun 21, 2011
Ever since the Pilgrims boarded the Mayflower, what we believe and how we believe has shaped the American map. Could Utah have been bigger than Texas? How did religion shatter New England into such odd little shapes? And did the Civil War actually begin... in Kansas?
Episode 6
6. Use It or Lose It
aired: Tue, Jun 14, 2011
If you thought our borders were set in stone, you'd be wrong. Who stole a corner of Washington, DC? Is Ohio actually a state? And why isn't St. Louis our nation's capital? One thing's for sure -- our map could look very different. How did we create order out of so much chaos? With the vote.
Episode 5
Season 1, Episode 5
aired: Tue, Jun 7, 2011
What secrets are hiding in our map? What's behind the "blank spots" like Area 51? What possessed the citizens of Key West to throw down their margaritas and secede from Florida? And even in the heartland, there are those living on the edge -- in Kansas, old missile bunkers are now five bedroom dream homes. And what about the county in Georgia that was left off the state's quarter?
Episode 4
4. State of Rebellion
aired: Tue, May 24, 2011
How did the most rebellious states took shape? How did they earn their outsized features and outspoken reputations. For instance, why does Montana looks like it took a bite out of Idaho? Why wasn't Texas broken up into five states? And why exactly do we have not one but two Carolinas?
Episode 3
3. Force of Nature
aired: Tue, May 17, 2011
How massive geological events helped create the American map. Long before the Founding Fathers drew the map, mother nature shape some states: how an asteroid created the border for three states and changed history; how glaciers plowed the great plains and how natural disasters continue to alter the map.
Episode 2
2. The Great Plains, Trains, & Automobiles
aired: Tue, May 10, 2011
The history of transportation hidden in the lines of the map. From canals to trains and cars, how getting around helped draw the American map. Why Chicago could have been in Wisconsin; why states out West or so big and boxy; and why we almost had a state called Forgottonia.
Episode 1
1. A River Runs Through It
aired: Tue, May 3, 2011
How water has literally shaped the States. The surprising history hidden in the blue, squiggly lines on the map: How the founding fathers might have made a mistake along the Georgia Tennessee border; how that boundary could actually change because of water; why Maine has so much -- and why Nevada was left high and dry. All told the unique shapes of these states.
Episodes
Episode 10
How the States Got Their Shapes: Mouthing Off
aired: Mon, Apr 2, 2012
We all live in the same country, so why do we sound do different? It's a matter of where you are on the map. Why didn't the southern accent exist until after the Civil War? How did California athletes end up coining so many new words? Why do we have so many different words for the same things -- like pop versus soda? Will one particularly strong accent cause New York to break up and create a 51st state?
Episode 9
How the States Got Their Shapes: Culture Clash
aired: Mon, Apr 2, 2012
Will rivalries within our states break them into pieces? Cultures compete against each other all over the map. In extreme cases, they can divide states in two. How did World War II preserve the shape of California? Will part of Maine break off and become Northern Massachusetts? And as new cultures move into Florida, will the state's cowboy tradition get pushed off the map?
Episode 8
How the States Got Their Shapes: A Boom With a View
aired: Mon, Apr 2, 2012
Did money make our map? Through boom and through bust, the sweet smell of profit has drawn and redrawn our states. How did Green Bay help carve our border with Canada? What does football have to do with fur? Is North Carolina the real "Golden State"? And why should we all move to North Dakota?
Episode 7
How the States Got Their Shapes: Church and States
aired: Mon, Apr 2, 2012
Ever since the Pilgrims boarded the Mayflower, what we believe and how we believe has shaped the American map. Could Utah have been bigger than Texas? How did religion shatter New England into such odd little shapes? And did the Civil War actually begin... in Kansas?
Episode 6
How the States Got Their Shapes: Use It or Lose It
aired: Mon, Apr 2, 2012
If you thought our borders were set in stone, you'd be wrong. Who stole a corner of Washington, DC? Is Ohio actually a state? And why isn't St. Louis our nation's capital? One thing's for sure -- our map could look very different. How did we create order out of so much chaos? With the vote.
Episode 5
How the States Got Their Shapes: Living On the Edge
aired: Mon, Apr 2, 2012
What secrets are hiding in our map? What's behind the "blank spots" like Area 51? What possessed the citizens of Key West to throw down their margaritas and secede from Florida? And even in the heartland, there are those living on the edge -- in Kansas, old missile bunkers are now five bedroom dream homes. And what about the county in Georgia that was left off the state's quarter?
Episode 4
How the States Got Their Shapes: State of Rebellion
aired: Mon, Apr 2, 2012
How did the most rebellious states took shape? How did they earn their outsized features and outspoken reputations. For instance, why does Montana looks like it took a bite out of Idaho? Why wasn't Texas broken up into five states? And why exactly do we have not one but two Carolinas?
Episode 3
How the States Got Their Shapes: Force of Nature
aired: Mon, Apr 2, 2012
How massive geological events helped create the American map. Long before the Founding Fathers drew the map, mother nature shape some states: how an asteroid created the border for three states and changed history; how glaciers plowed the great plains and how natural disasters continue to alter the map.
Episode 2
How the States Got Their Shapes: The Great Plains, Trains, & Automobiles
aired: Mon, Apr 2, 2012
The history of transportation hidden in the lines of the map. From canals to trains and cars, how getting around helped draw the American map. Why Chicago could have been in Wisconsin; why states out West or so big and boxy; and why we almost had a state called Forgottonia.
Episode 1
How the States Got Their Shapes: A River Runs Through It
aired: Mon, Apr 2, 2012
How water has literally shaped the States. The surprising history hidden in the blue, squiggly lines on the map: How the founding fathers might have made a mistake along the Georgia Tennessee border; how that boundary could actually change because of water; why Maine has so much -- and why Nevada was left high and dry. All told the unique shapes of these states.
Episode
How the States Got Their Shapes: A River Runs Through It
aired: Wed, May 4, 2011
In many cases, bodies of water literally shape the borders of American states. Explore the history behind these meandering lines that traverse U.S. maps.
