How The States Got Their Shapes

Episode Guide

Season 2 | Season 1

The United Shapes of America

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.

Big vs. Small

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.

State vs. State

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?

Mess with Texas

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.

Rebels & Outlaws

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?

East vs. West

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?

Is West Best

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.

Midwest vs. the Rest

Premiere Date: 10/27/2012

It's the glue that holds our map together and feeds America, but the Midwest is more than just state fairs and flyover country.

Vice vs. Virtue

Premiere Date: 10/27/2012

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.

Battle of the Bible Belt

With 85% of Americans affiliated with an organized religion, we're a nation of believers, but have we always practiced what we preached?

Great Lakes, Big Stakes

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.

Bigfoot vs. Aliens

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.

North vs. South

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?

Hatfields vs. McCoys

Premiere Date: 10/06/2012

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.

Hillbilly vs. Redneck

Premiere Date: 10/06/2012

Two underdogs of American culture go head to head to prove how hillbillies and rednecks have shaped our states.

Red State vs. Blue State

Premiere Date: 09/29/2012

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?

White Collar vs. Blue Collar

Premiere Date: 09/29/2012

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?

Upcoming Episodes on H2

How The States Got Their Shapes on DVD!

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How the States Got Their Shapes DVD

Every line on the U.S. map tells a great story. This best-selling HISTORY special outlines the unique circumstances that shaped each United state!

$19.99
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The States DVD Set

A lavish tour of each and every of our 50 states! Get the entire 10-part series on 3 DVDs.

$24.47
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Kids' 55-Piece Puzzle of the USA

With the pieces shaped like the states of the US, the puzzle offers a great geography lesson.

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