EVERY THURSDAY American History

Land of the free and home of the brave. See the stories of bold visionaries who set a course for the new world and helped to build the American Experiment.

THURSDAY ON STORY

April 25, 2024

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12:00A

How the States Got Their Shapes

The United Shapes of America

Brian Unger is taking a different look at just how our states got their shapes.

9:00A

5:00P

1:00A

How the States Got Their Shapes

Living on the Edge

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?

10:00A

6:00P

2:00A

How the States Got Their Shapes

Use It or Lose It

If you thought our borders were set in stone, you'd be wrong. 

11:00A

7:00P

3:00A

How the States Got Their Shapes

Mouthing Off

Why do we have so many different words for the same things--like pop versus soda?

12:00P

8:00P

4:00A

How the States Got Their Shapes

A River Runs Through It

How has water literally shaped the States?

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9:00P

5:00A

How the States Got Their Shapes

Force of Nature

How have massive geological events helped create the American map? Long before the Founding Fathers drew the map, mother nature shaped some states.

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10:00P

6:00A

How the States Got Their Shapes

Culture Clash

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.

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7:00A

How the States Got Their Shapes

Church and States

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?