What are the best episodes of How the States Got Their Shapes?

The best rated episodes of How the States Got Their Shapes are: City vs. Country - S2E12 rated 9.3, North vs. South - S2E5 rated 9.3, State vs. State - S2E16 rated 9.0, Rebels & Outlaws - S2E14 rated 9.0, Hatfields vs. McCoys - S2E4 rated 8.6, East vs. West - S2E13 rated 8.5, Living on the Edge - S1E5 rated 8.4, Big vs Small - S2E18 rated 8.3, Great Lakes, Big Stakes - S2E7 rated 8.3

What are the worst episodes of How the States Got Their Shapes?

The lowest rated episodes of How the States Got Their Shapes are: Bigfoot vs. Aliens - S2E6 rated 6.5, Vice vs. Virtue - S2E9 rated 6.7, A River Runs Through It - S1E1 rated 6.9, Force of Nature - S1E3 rated 7.0, A Boom with a View - S1E8 rated 7.3, Use it or Lose it - S1E6 rated 7.6, State of Rebellion - S1E4 rated 7.6, Culture Clash - S1E9 rated 7.6, Red State vs. Blue State - S2E1 rated 7.7

How the States Got Their Shapes Episode Rating Graph

Apr 2010 - Dec 2012

7.1

How the States Got Their Shapes Episode Rating Graph poster

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How the States Got Their Shapes Episode Rating Chart

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	E1	E2	E3	E4	E5	E6	E7	E8	E9	E10	E11	E12	E13	E14	E15	E16	E17	E18	E19
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Browse episode ratings trends for How the States Got Their Shapes. Simply click on the interactive rating graph to explore the best and worst of How the States Got Their Shapes's 29 episodes.

Best Episodes of How the States Got Their Shapes

City vs. Country
S2 Ep12
9.3
3rd Nov 2012
In the battle between city and country, it looks like the city is coming out ahead in population, but is there something about the country that all the city slickers are missing? And how has the move from rural to urban changed the shapes of our states and cities?
North vs. South
S2 Ep5
9.3
13th Oct 2012
It's America's original rivalry, a divide that was so wide it took a war to close the gap. But have we really reunited, or are we still fighting a culture war?
State vs. State
S2 Ep16
9.0
8th Dec 2012
We're the United States, but sometimes, it's every state for itself. Nearly every state has pulled a power play that gamed the system and changed the map. How much can you get away with when it's state vs. state?
Rebels & Outlaws
S2 Ep14
9.0
17th Nov 2012
We may be a law-abiding nation but we also admire the outlaw, and the clash between rebels and the rules has shaped our states. Which states like to make their own rules, and which do the heat have on lockdown?
Hatfields vs. McCoys
S2 Ep4
8.6
6th Oct 2012
America's most iconic rivalry was more than just a feud between families. The fight between the Hatfields and McCoys nearly launched a war between two states.
East vs. West
S2 Ep13
8.5
10th Nov 2012
The squabble between east coast and west coast leaves the rest of the country stuck in the middle. It's a rivalry that has made its way into our popular culture, but is there any common ground in this continental tug of war?
Living on the Edge
S1 Ep5
8.4
7th Jun 2011
Mysterious or fringe areas and how they shaped the states are examined. States include Nevada; Florida; Missouri; and Georgia.
Big vs Small
S2 Ep18
8.3
22nd Dec 2012
Does size matter when you're a state? While the giants like to throw their weight around, there are some scrappy underdogs that have made their mark on the map.
Great Lakes, Big Stakes
S2 Ep7
8.3
20th Oct 2012
Battles over access to lakefront property have made the Great Lakes region the most contested land on the entire map, and even pushed the states to a border war.

Worst Episodes of How the States Got Their Shapes

Bigfoot vs. Aliens
S2 Ep6
6.5
13th Oct 2012
America is a nation under siege by unexplained phenomena. Whether you're afraid of Bigfoot or alien invasion might depend on what state you call home.
Vice vs. Virtue
S2 Ep9
6.7
27th Oct 2012
Americans have a lot of vices and they don't just stay in Vegas. From drugs to gambling, the state you live in may shape how bad you can be.
A River Runs Through It
S1 Ep1
6.9
3rd May 2011
How has water has literally shaped the States? There's surprising history hidden in the blue, squiggly lines on the map. Did the founding fathers make a mistake along the Georgia Tennessee border? Can that boundary actually change because of water? Why does Maine have so much water? Why was Nevada was left high and dry? -- All these answers can be found in the unique shapes of these states.
Force of Nature
S1 Ep3
7.0
17th May 2011
How have massive geological events helped create the American map? Long before the Founding Fathers drew the map, mother nature shaped some states. How did an asteroid create the border for three states and change history? How did glaciers plow the great plains and how did natural disasters continue to alter the map?
A Boom with a View
S1 Ep8
7.3
28th Jun 2011
The influences of money and prosperity are examined. States include Wisconsin; North Carolina; and North Dakota.
Use it or Lose it
S1 Ep6
7.6
14th Jun 2011
The role of politics is examined. States include Ohio; and Missouri. Also: Washington, D.C.
State of Rebellion
S1 Ep4
7.6
24th May 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?
Culture Clash
S1 Ep9
7.6
5th Jul 2011
Conflict can sometimes arise between different cultures that share the same state. Find out how culture clashes all over the country have shaped our map.
Red State vs. Blue State
S2 Ep1
7.7
29th Sep 2012
It's a rivalry that tears us apart every four years, but how did our nation divide into red states vs. blue states, and what happens to the states caught in the middle?

How the States Got Their Shapes Episode Guide

A River Runs Through It
S1 Ep1
6.9
3rd May 2011
How has water has literally shaped the States? There's surprising history hidden in the blue, squiggly lines on the map. Did the founding fathers make a mistake along the Georgia Tennessee border? Can that boundary actually change because of water? Why does Maine have so much water? Why was Nevada was left high and dry? -- All these answers can be found in the unique shapes of these states.
The Great Plains, Trains, and Automobiles
S1 Ep2
7.7
10th May 2011
The history of transportation is hidden in the lines of the map. From canals to trains and cars, how did getting around help draw the American map? Could Chicago have been in Wisconsin? Why are states out West or so big and boxy? And why did we almost had a state called Forgottonia?
Force of Nature
S1 Ep3
7.0
17th May 2011
How have massive geological events helped create the American map? Long before the Founding Fathers drew the map, mother nature shaped some states. How did an asteroid create the border for three states and change history? How did glaciers plow the great plains and how did natural disasters continue to alter the map?
State of Rebellion
S1 Ep4
7.6
24th May 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?
Living on the Edge
S1 Ep5
8.4
7th Jun 2011
Mysterious or fringe areas and how they shaped the states are examined. States include Nevada; Florida; Missouri; and Georgia.
Use it or Lose it
S1 Ep6
7.6
14th Jun 2011
The role of politics is examined. States include Ohio; and Missouri. Also: Washington, D.C.
Church and States
S1 Ep7
7.7
21st Jun 2011
The influence of religion is considered. States include Utah; and Kansas; and New England states.
A Boom with a View
S1 Ep8
7.3
28th Jun 2011
The influences of money and prosperity are examined. States include Wisconsin; North Carolina; and North Dakota.
Culture Clash
S1 Ep9
7.6
5th Jul 2011
Conflict can sometimes arise between different cultures that share the same state. Find out how culture clashes all over the country have shaped our map.
Mouthing Off
S1 Ep10
8.2
12th Jul 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? Will one particularly strong accent cause New York to break up and create a 51st state?

The show deals with how the various states of the United States established their borders, but also delves into other aspects of U.S. history, including failed states, proposed new states, and the local culture and character of various U.S. states. It thus deals with the "shapes" of the states in a metaphorical sense as well as a literal sense. The show format follows Unger as he travels to various locations, and interviews local people, visits important historical and cultural sites, and provides commentary from behind the wheel of his car as he drives from location to location. Interspersed with these segments are brief historical synopses by notable U.S. historians.

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