HOW THE STATES GOT INTO
THE SHAPE THEY ARE IN:
THEIR GEOGRAPHY, NOT THEIR ECONOMY

Maurice Bluestein

DESCRIPTION: Among world nations, the U.S. has one of the greatest discrepancies in the land areas of its constituent states. Our largest state, Alaska, is 429 times the area of our smallest. Even among our contiguous states, Texas is 174 times the area of Rhode Island. By contrast, France has 96 departments, all about the same area size. The shapes of our states are varied as well, from the regularity of Wyoming to the irregularity of Maryland. How did this come to be? Why does Oklahoma have that curious panhandle? Why do some state borders follow natural boundaries like rivers, but then diverge away? How did the issue of slavery affect the borders of many states? This lecture series will answer these questions and expand on a recent PBS series, with additional insights. The course will highlight the history of our home state of Florida which had many rulers, and which once reached the banks of the Mississippi River.

FOUR LECTURES:

1. The Original Thirteen Colonies
   
2. States of the Northwest Territory and Florida
   
3. Areas of the Louisiana Purchase
   
4. The Western United States

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: Dr. Maurice Bluestein is Professor Emeritus of Mechanical Engineering Technology at Indiana University - Purdue University/Indianapolis. He taught for 19 years on the undergraduate / graduate levels, following a 25-year career in the biomedical engineering industry. He received a PhD in Biomedical Engineering from Northwestern University and Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees in Mechanical Engineering from New York University (NYU) and The City College of New York (CCNY-CUNY), respectively. He has authored numerous scientific papers and an engineering textbook. He is the co-developer of the Wind Chill Temperature Chart used by the weather services of the U.S. and Canada.