The BEST episodes of How the States Got Their Shapes season 2

Every episode of How the States Got Their Shapes season 2, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of How the States Got Their Shapes season 2!

We are so familiar with the map of United States, but do we know why our states look the way they do? Every shape on the map tells a great story about our past. This special examines how every state is a puzzle piece ultimately revealing the unique... geography, political and social history of America.

Last Updated: 2/4/2024Network: HistoryStatus: Ended

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North vs. South

8.13

31 votes

#1 - North vs. South

Season 2 - Episode 5 - Aired 10/13/2012

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?

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Hatfields vs. McCoys

8.09

33 votes

#2 - Hatfields vs. McCoys

Season 2 - Episode 4 - Aired 10/6/2012

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.

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East vs. West

8.06

32 votes

#3 - East vs. West

Season 2 - Episode 13 - Aired 11/10/2012

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?

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Mess with Texas

8.03

33 votes

#4 - Mess with Texas

Season 2 - Episode 15 - Aired 11/24/2012

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.

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Rich vs. Poor

8.00

32 votes

#5 - Rich vs. Poor

Season 2 - Episode 17 - Aired 12/8/2012

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?

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Battle of the Bible Belt

7.97

32 votes

#6 - Battle of the Bible Belt

Season 2 - Episode 8 - Aired 10/20/2012

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

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Red State vs. Blue State

7.94

34 votes

#7 - Red State vs. Blue State

Season 2 - Episode 1 - Aired 9/29/2012

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?

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State vs. State

7.25

32 votes

#8 - State vs. State

Season 2 - Episode 16 - Aired 12/8/2012

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?

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City vs. Country

7.23

31 votes

#9 - City vs. Country

Season 2 - Episode 12 - Aired 11/3/2012

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?

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Rebels & Outlaws

7.19

31 votes

#10 - Rebels & Outlaws

Season 2 - Episode 14 - Aired 11/17/2012

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?

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Hillbilly vs. Redneck

7.15

33 votes

#11 - Hillbilly vs. Redneck

Season 2 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/6/2012

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

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Great Lakes, Big Stakes

7.13

31 votes

#12 - Great Lakes, Big Stakes

Season 2 - Episode 7 - Aired 10/20/2012

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.

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Big vs. Small

7.13

31 votes

#13 - Big vs. Small

Season 2 - Episode 18 - Aired 12/15/2012

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.

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Is West Best?

7.13

32 votes

#14 - Is West Best?

Season 2 - Episode 11 - Aired 11/3/2012

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.

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White Collar vs. Blue Collar

7.12

33 votes

#15 - White Collar vs. Blue Collar

Season 2 - Episode 2 - Aired 9/29/2012

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?

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The United Shapes of America

7.10

31 votes

#16 - The United Shapes of America

Season 2 - Episode 19 - Aired 12/22/2012

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.

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Vice vs. Virtue

6.97

31 votes

#17 - Vice vs. Virtue

Season 2 - Episode 9 - Aired 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.

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Bigfoot vs. Aliens

6.97

30 votes

#18 - Bigfoot vs. Aliens

Season 2 - Episode 6 - Aired 10/13/2012

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.

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Midwest vs. The Rest

6.19

31 votes

#19 - Midwest vs. The Rest

Season 2 - Episode 10 - Aired 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.

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