How the States Got Their Shapes
(2011)Streaming Episode Guide
Season 2
The United Shapes of America
Episode 19 - 12-22-2012
42m
After three years on the road, host Brian Unger is taking a different look at just how our states got their shapes. We'll hear about the unique American values that have made this country what it is today, and travel from coast to coast and everywhere in between. Along the way, Brian reveals that just as we shaped the map, it has shaped us.
6.6/10Where to watch
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Big vs Small
Episode 18 - 12-22-2012
21m
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.
8.1/10Where to watch
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Rich vs Poor
Episode 17 - 12-15-2012
43m
Money makes the world go 'round and in America, the pursuit of fortune and riches has shaped our states. Some states have built enormous economies on resources like gold, oil, or timber, but they first had to draw their borders around all the riches in order to stake a claim. In the race to grab up all the country's treasures, which states were the slowest on the uptake, and which came out on top?
7.3/10Where to watch
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State vs. State
Episode 16 - 12-08-2012
22m
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?
8.1/10Where to watch
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Mess with Texas
Episode 15 - 11-24-2012
22m
Everything is bigger in Texas. It's the only state that acts like a country, but has it grown too big for its britches? We'll mess with Texas to settle this ten-gallon rivalry.
7.9/10Where to watch
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Rebels & Outlaws
Episode 14 - 11-17-2012
22m
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?
7.6/10Where to watch
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East vs. West
Episode 13 - 11-10-2012
22m
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?
7.7/10Where to watch
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City vs. Country
Episode 12 - 11-03-2012
22m
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?
7.6/10Where to watch
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Is West Best?
Episode 11 - 11-03-2012
22m
Americans have been racing to tame the West since they first set foot on the continent, but now that the West has been won, what's next? Is the West still the best.
7.6/10Where to watch
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Midwest vs. The Rest
Episode 10 - 10-27-2012
22m
It's the glue that holds our map together and feeds America, but the Midwest is more than just state fairs and flyover country.
7.5/10Where to watch
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Vice vs. Virtue
Episode 9 - 10-27-2012
22m
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.
6.9/10Where to watch
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Battle of the Bible Belt
Episode 8 - 10-20-2012
22m
With 85% of Americans affiliated with an organized religion, we're a nation of believers, but have we always practiced what we preached?
7.6/10Where to watch
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Great Lakes, Big Stakes
Episode 7 - 10-20-2012
22m
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.
7.5/10Where to watch
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Bigfoot vs. Aliens
Episode 6 - 10-13-2012
22m
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.
7.2/10Where to watch
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North vs. South
Episode 5 - 10-13-2012
22m
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?
5.9/10Where to watch
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Hatfields vs. McCoys
Episode 4 - 10-06-2012
22m
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.
7.1/10Where to watch
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Hillbilly vs. Redneck
Episode 3 - 10-06-2012
22m
Two underdogs of American culture go head to head to prove how hillbillies and rednecks have shaped our states.
7.4/10Where to watch
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White Collar vs. Blue Collar
Episode 2 - 9-29-2012
22m
Deep in the Rust Belt the white collar and blue collar divide has shaped our cities and our states. How did this rivalry change the way we all bring home the bacon?
7/10Where to watch
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Red State vs. Blue State
Episode 1 - 9-29-2012
22m
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?
7.1/10Where to watch
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Season 1
Mouthing Off
Episode 10 - 7-12-2011
43m
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?
8.5/10Where to watch
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Haven't Seen
Culture Clash
Episode 9 - 7-05-2011
43m
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.
8.4/10Where to watch
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Haven't Seen
A Boom with a View
Episode 8 - 6-28-2011
42m
The influences of money and prosperity are examined. States include Wisconsin; North Carolina; and North Dakota.
8.4/10Where to watch
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Church and States
Episode 7 - 6-21-2011
43m
The influence of religion is considered. States include Utah; and Kansas; and New England states.
8.4/10Where to watch
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Use it or Lose it
Episode 6 - 6-14-2011
41m
The role of politics is examined. States include Ohio; and Missouri. Also: Washington, D.C.
8.3/10Where to watch
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Living on the Edge
Episode 5 - 6-07-2011
42m
Mysterious or fringe areas and how they shaped the states are examined. States include Nevada; Florida; Missouri; and Georgia.
8.4/10Where to watch
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Haven't Seen
State of Rebellion
Episode 4 - 5-24-2011
42m
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?
8.3/10Where to watch
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Force of Nature
Episode 3 - 5-17-2011
42m
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?
8/10Where to watch
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The Great Plains, Trains, and Automobiles
Episode 2 - 5-10-2011
44m
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?
8.1/10Where to watch
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A River Runs Through It
Episode 1 - 5-03-2011
42m
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.
8.1/10Where to watch
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Haven't Seen
Top 5 Highest Rated Episodes 8.5/10 8.4/10 8.4/10 8.4/10 8.4/10
Mouthing Off
Episode 10 - 7-12-2011
43m
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?
8.5/10Where to watch
Buy
Haven't Seen
Living on the Edge
Episode 5 - 6-07-2011
42m
Mysterious or fringe areas and how they shaped the states are examined. States include Nevada; Florida; Missouri; and Georgia.
8.4/10Where to watch
Buy
Haven't Seen
Church and States
Episode 7 - 6-21-2011
43m
The influence of religion is considered. States include Utah; and Kansas; and New England states.
8.4/10Where to watch
Haven't Seen
A Boom with a View
Episode 8 - 6-28-2011
42m
The influences of money and prosperity are examined. States include Wisconsin; North Carolina; and North Dakota.
8.4/10Where to watch
Buy
Haven't Seen
Culture Clash
Episode 9 - 7-05-2011
43m
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.
8.4/10Where to watch
Buy
Haven't Seen
