Lost States
Everyone knows the fifty nifty united states—but what about the hundreds of other statehood proposals that never came to pass? Lost States is a tribute to such great unrealized dreams as West Florida, Texlahoma, Montezuma, Rough and Ready, and Yazoo. Some of these states came remarkably close to...
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Everyone knows the fifty nifty united states—but what about the hundreds of other statehood proposals that never came to pass? Lost States is a tribute to such great unrealized dreams as West Florida, Texlahoma, Montezuma, Rough and Ready, and Yazoo. Some of these states came remarkably close to joining the Union. Others never had a chance. Many are still trying. Consider: • Frontier legend Daniel Boone once proposed a state of Transylvania in the Appalachian wilderness (his plan was resurrected a few years later with the new name of Kentucky). • Residents of bucolic South Jersey wanted to secede from their urban north Jersey neighbors and form the fifty-first state. • The Gold Rush territory of Nataqua could have made a fine state—but since no women were willing to live there, the settlers gave up and joined California. Each story offers a fascinating glimpse at the nation we might have become—along with plenty of absurd characters, bureaucratic red tape, and political gamesmanship. Accompanying these tales are beautifully rendered maps detailing the proposed state boundaries, plus images of real-life artifacts and ephemera. Welcome to the world of Lost States!
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Format: hardcover
ISBN:
9781594744105 (1594744106)
ASIN: 1594744106
Publish date: February 1st 2010
Publisher: Quirk Books
Pages no: 160
Edition language: English
Category:
Non Fiction,
Travel,
Humor,
History,
Reference,
Literature,
Science,
American,
Geography,
American History,
Cartography,
Maps
I almost really loved this one. It covers many, but not all, failed states. Each one gets a one page profile, plus a full page map created by the author, usually by superimposing the proposed state on an existing map. It was interesting, for the most part, though occassionally repetitive. Many of th...
This is pretty interesting ... unless you try to read it all at once (it gets repetitive fast). But most normal people will flip around, read a few pages and put it down, in which case, it's pretty good.
The stories were interesting, but very superficial, could have been better if he hadn't limited each story to two pages including the maps and pictures. My biggest complaint was the order, why put them in alphabetical order? Especially since the author made up some of the names. I would have preferr...
A nice blend of history and humor, this collection was inspired by the author's fascination with the many failed attempts to create different states, new states and varied combinations of already existing states. A great read for anyone at all interested in history and how the shifting boundaries of...
Fun and interesting information in a friendly format beside beautiful maps. A great choice for a coffee table book.I was hoping for more information and less commentary but beggers can't be choosers.I wish Yazoo had become a state...