I've had this post sitting in my drafts for about 3 months. I've decided to go ahead and publish the ones I have written in the hopes I will become motivated to write up more coins!
49. Alaska
The second to last state to be admitted to the Union came aboard on January 3, 1959. Alaska's coin features a Grizzly Bear emerging from a waterfall with a salmon in its mouth, and the words "Great Land". The word great could be correctly interpreted in one of two ways when referring to Number 49. Alaska has the largest surface area of any state, and is also considered to be one of the most scenic states in the USA (65% of Alaskan land is federally classified as national forests, national parks, or national wildlife refuges). Alaska is the northernmost State and sits between the Pacific and Arctic Oceans, with its neighbour, Russia, across the Bering Strait (visible from at least one house, I hear). You'd be right to assume the local weather channels don't pull out the smiling sun animation too often; Juneau and the southeast panhandle are the only areas in Alaska to breach freezing temperatures in winter daytime hours. In fact, the word Alaska means, "the object towards which the action of the sea is directed". When that sea is the Arctic Ocean, you've got to expect a nippy wind chill. Not a population to be scared off by facial-feature-necrotising breezes, a whopping 4,078 of the denizens of Alaska live in Barrow, located a chilly 330 miles above the arctic circle.
Historically, native peoples such as the Aluet, Haida, Tlinglit, Tsimshian and Yup'ik lived happily in Alaska until boatfuls of smallpox-addled Europeans graced their shores. If you have a monthly EFT going to PETA, you may want to skip ahead a sentence or two. The region was originally a Russian territory, colonized somewhere in the 17th century. The "ruskies" prized the land for their thriving fur trade, until 1867 when America picked up the territory for an Everything-Must-Go-esque two cents per acre. A couple of pelts notwithstanding, this likely seemed like a fair trade at the time. However, caveat venditor, it turned out the whole area was basically a bit of icy soil floating about on a massive oil field punctuated by lumps of gold. Good news local wildlife, you can keep your pelts. Bad news, it might get coated in hydrocarbonic goo every now and then. State Capital: Juneau
50. Hawaii
Correctly spelt "Hawai'i" (I told you Hallowe'en wasn't the only word that has an apostrophe in it), the Aloha State was the last* horse across the finish line on August 21, 1959. The State coin features a map of the Islands, the State motto "Ua Mau Ke Ea O Ka 'Āina I Ka Pono," (translation: try fitting this onto a license plate), and King Kamehameha reaching out his hand, presumably for a can of Spam, of which Hawaiians consume more per capita than people in any other State. The State coin may need updating someday, as the main island of Hawaii contains three active shield volcanoes all depositing heavy basalt, which causes the earth's crust to bend beneath it, and someday may lead to catastrophic detachment. On the plus side, this means Hawaii is still growing, so yay for real estate!
I really thought that if any State's history didn't follow the happy-natives-lived-here-until-the-Europeans-came storyline, it would be Hawaii. You can imagine my disappointment to learn that while James Cook was a little man-who-came-to-dinner in 1778 when he renamed the territory the Sandwich Islands, he really committed a faux pas on his return in 1779 when he attempted to abduct King Kalaniʻōpuʻu. On the heels of Cook's interest in the region, several European groups arrived to the islands, showering the inhabitants with bounties of smallpox, measles and the flu. Hawaii remained a kingdom until 1887, when a constitution stripping the king of much of his power was signed. Under McKinley, Hawaii was annexed by the US and gained statehood in 1959. Since then Hawaii has run the gamut of conservative (1993 ban on same-sex marriage) to progressive (Hawaii Prepaid Healthcare act). State Capital: Honolulu
*as of 2011; every so often you hear rumblings about Puerto Rico.
Showing posts with label coins. Show all posts
Showing posts with label coins. Show all posts
May 28, 2012
Feb 1, 2011
Numismatism Part II
1.Delaware
Delaware became the first State of the United State(?) of America on December 7, 1787. The State Quarter features the State moniker, "The First State" and a man riding a horse. The rider was called Caesar Rodney (it says so on the coin), and having read a little about the history of Delaware, I am a little ashamed to say that I had never heard of him before this exercise. Delaware was home to Native Americans such as the Algonquin tribes before being settled by the Dutch in 1631. It changed hands with the Dutch, Swedes and Finns a few times before Sir Robert Carr won the territory in 1664 for Britain (there were actually more power plays by the Dutch and Swedes, but it gets kind of repetitive). The colony was named after Thomas West, 3rd and 12th Baron De La Warr (get it??), because the tactics he learned while fighting against the Irish also proved effective against the Native Americans. Interestingly, these "tactics" were against the natives in Virginia (not Delaware), and earned old Tommy the role of governor for life of Virginia. No reelection bids needing fund-raising, West appointed a deputy governor and toddled off back to England to write a book about Virginia from the comfort of the Empire. In 1618, it turned out his deputy was a bit of a tyrant, so he set sail for Virginia to investigate but died at sea. And then he got an entirely different State named after him. All was well in Delaware Colony under British rule, with the exception of some arbitrary parliamentary rulings until Thomas McKean and Caeser Rodney denounced the Stamp Act, and called for independence from Britain. In order to cast the essential vote needed to declare independence, Caeser Rodney made the first of the nation's historic overnight horseback rides to Philadelphia on July 1, 1776. Google maps doesn't give the option of "Horse" for mode of commute, but estimates the journey to be a seven hour trek by bicycle. Given US-13 wasn't built until 1926, it was a pretty impressive feat. He made it to the vote with no time to change out of his "boots and spurs", and two days later a nation was born. He was thanked by a less than grateful electorate by being ousted from office, but is immortalized on the Delaware quarter. State Capital: Dover.
4.Georgia
The Peach State was the 4th addition to the Union on January 2, 1788. The State Quarter features a Peach, the outline of the State, the words "Wisdom, Justice, Moderation" in a banner, and leaves of the Live Oak from its official State Tree. The last of the original thirteen colonies to be established, Georgia was named after Britain's King George II. Georgia took a leave of absence from the Union starting in 1861 to become the one of the seven original States of the Confederacy. That didn't pan out as a great life choice for Georgia, so it rejoined the Union on July 15, 1870, being the last State to do so. Mailing birthday cards to your relatives in Georgia must have been a nightmare during this period; in addition to all the back and forth as to what actual country Georgia was a part of, the State Capital of Georgia changed twelve times between 1776 and 1868. Today, Georgia's counties have some of the fastest growing populations, second only to Texas. These are presumably the counties with prisons in them. Across the nation, an average of 1 in 31 citizens are under some form of correctional control. But Georgia comes in at number 1 with an impressive(?) 1 in 13 of its denizens in the correctional system. That's probably good news for anyone looking to be gainfully employed by the penal system. However, given men made up 92.3% of the national prison population in 2002, I'd imagine the dating scene might suck in the Peach State, especially for those girls with an eye for the proverbial "bad boy". State Capital:Savannah Augusta Heard's Ford Augusta Savannah Ebeneezer Savannah Augusta Louisville Milledgeville Macon Milledgeville Atlanta
9. New Hampshire
The Granite State was admitted as the 9th of the Union on June 21, 1788. The State Quarter features the Old Man of the Mountain, a granite formation in the White Mountains, with the words "Live Free or Die". Don't go programming Cannon Mountain into your GPS just yet; the old guy sadly succumbed to gravity in 2003. New Hampshire is famed for its somewhat confrontational motto, "Live Free or Die", which it officially adopted in 1945. In 1971 all the vehicle plates were changed from "Scenic" to "Live Free or Die", marking probably the greatest shift in license plate tone in US history. The phrase itself was taken from an in abstentia toast given by General Stark at the 32nd anniversary of the Battle of Bennington. As the revolutionary war was sparked in part by resentment over British taxation, I assume this means that death should be chosen in lieu of taxation. Evidently the New Hampshirites are among the 19% of Americans who fear death more than anything, as New Hampshire has no sale or income tax, and the 49th lowest State tax burden in the nation (I couldn't find out which State is living freer). It's hard to imagine how they fund roads and schools, but paying the nation's highest property tax may go some of the way to balancing the books. New Hampshire can pat itself on the green shoulder for having the lowest energy consumption by state and per capita, especially surprising given its average January high is a single Celsius degree. However, I suspect this environmental record may have been lost upon the arrival of my AC-loving in-laws to the State. State Capital: Concord.
15. Kentucky
Kentucky was the 15th State to join the Union on June 1st, 1792. The State Quarter features the Federal Hill mansion, the home built by Judge James Rowan using slave labour (N.B. read up on things before sticking them on your State quarter); a thoroughbred horse; and the words "My Old Kentucky Home", the title of the official State song. The region comprising the Bluegrass state was known to be inhabited by Native Americans up to 13 millennia ago, but these indigenous people were all but wiped upon by the arrival of sneezing Europeans around the mid 1700s. The region was given top ratings on www.lonelyplanet.com by explorers such as Thomas Walker, John Finley and Daniel Boone, and a permanent settlement was established by James Harrod in 1774. Kentucky is famed for tobacco crops, growing corn used in whiskey and the thorough breeding of racehorses (the only state with its name in a triple crown event). However, before you cancel the bachelor/stag party trip to Vegas, favoring a weekend of debauchery in the first State of the Western Frontier, you should know that of the 130 counties in Kentucky, a whopping 75 are dry, and a further 15 are moist (I'm not exactly sure what that means, but I'd guess that mooning the staff at Taco Bell is probably not a good idea). State Capital: Frankfort.
Delaware became the first State of the United State(?) of America on December 7, 1787. The State Quarter features the State moniker, "The First State" and a man riding a horse. The rider was called Caesar Rodney (it says so on the coin), and having read a little about the history of Delaware, I am a little ashamed to say that I had never heard of him before this exercise. Delaware was home to Native Americans such as the Algonquin tribes before being settled by the Dutch in 1631. It changed hands with the Dutch, Swedes and Finns a few times before Sir Robert Carr won the territory in 1664 for Britain (there were actually more power plays by the Dutch and Swedes, but it gets kind of repetitive). The colony was named after Thomas West, 3rd and 12th Baron De La Warr (get it??), because the tactics he learned while fighting against the Irish also proved effective against the Native Americans. Interestingly, these "tactics" were against the natives in Virginia (not Delaware), and earned old Tommy the role of governor for life of Virginia. No reelection bids needing fund-raising, West appointed a deputy governor and toddled off back to England to write a book about Virginia from the comfort of the Empire. In 1618, it turned out his deputy was a bit of a tyrant, so he set sail for Virginia to investigate but died at sea. And then he got an entirely different State named after him. All was well in Delaware Colony under British rule, with the exception of some arbitrary parliamentary rulings until Thomas McKean and Caeser Rodney denounced the Stamp Act, and called for independence from Britain. In order to cast the essential vote needed to declare independence, Caeser Rodney made the first of the nation's historic overnight horseback rides to Philadelphia on July 1, 1776. Google maps doesn't give the option of "Horse" for mode of commute, but estimates the journey to be a seven hour trek by bicycle. Given US-13 wasn't built until 1926, it was a pretty impressive feat. He made it to the vote with no time to change out of his "boots and spurs", and two days later a nation was born. He was thanked by a less than grateful electorate by being ousted from office, but is immortalized on the Delaware quarter. State Capital: Dover.
4.Georgia
The Peach State was the 4th addition to the Union on January 2, 1788. The State Quarter features a Peach, the outline of the State, the words "Wisdom, Justice, Moderation" in a banner, and leaves of the Live Oak from its official State Tree. The last of the original thirteen colonies to be established, Georgia was named after Britain's King George II. Georgia took a leave of absence from the Union starting in 1861 to become the one of the seven original States of the Confederacy. That didn't pan out as a great life choice for Georgia, so it rejoined the Union on July 15, 1870, being the last State to do so. Mailing birthday cards to your relatives in Georgia must have been a nightmare during this period; in addition to all the back and forth as to what actual country Georgia was a part of, the State Capital of Georgia changed twelve times between 1776 and 1868. Today, Georgia's counties have some of the fastest growing populations, second only to Texas. These are presumably the counties with prisons in them. Across the nation, an average of 1 in 31 citizens are under some form of correctional control. But Georgia comes in at number 1 with an impressive(?) 1 in 13 of its denizens in the correctional system. That's probably good news for anyone looking to be gainfully employed by the penal system. However, given men made up 92.3% of the national prison population in 2002, I'd imagine the dating scene might suck in the Peach State, especially for those girls with an eye for the proverbial "bad boy". State Capital:
9. New Hampshire
The Granite State was admitted as the 9th of the Union on June 21, 1788. The State Quarter features the Old Man of the Mountain, a granite formation in the White Mountains, with the words "Live Free or Die". Don't go programming Cannon Mountain into your GPS just yet; the old guy sadly succumbed to gravity in 2003. New Hampshire is famed for its somewhat confrontational motto, "Live Free or Die", which it officially adopted in 1945. In 1971 all the vehicle plates were changed from "Scenic" to "Live Free or Die", marking probably the greatest shift in license plate tone in US history. The phrase itself was taken from an in abstentia toast given by General Stark at the 32nd anniversary of the Battle of Bennington. As the revolutionary war was sparked in part by resentment over British taxation, I assume this means that death should be chosen in lieu of taxation. Evidently the New Hampshirites are among the 19% of Americans who fear death more than anything, as New Hampshire has no sale or income tax, and the 49th lowest State tax burden in the nation (I couldn't find out which State is living freer). It's hard to imagine how they fund roads and schools, but paying the nation's highest property tax may go some of the way to balancing the books. New Hampshire can pat itself on the green shoulder for having the lowest energy consumption by state and per capita, especially surprising given its average January high is a single Celsius degree. However, I suspect this environmental record may have been lost upon the arrival of my AC-loving in-laws to the State. State Capital: Concord.
15. Kentucky
Kentucky was the 15th State to join the Union on June 1st, 1792. The State Quarter features the Federal Hill mansion, the home built by Judge James Rowan using slave labour (N.B. read up on things before sticking them on your State quarter); a thoroughbred horse; and the words "My Old Kentucky Home", the title of the official State song. The region comprising the Bluegrass state was known to be inhabited by Native Americans up to 13 millennia ago, but these indigenous people were all but wiped upon by the arrival of sneezing Europeans around the mid 1700s. The region was given top ratings on www.lonelyplanet.com by explorers such as Thomas Walker, John Finley and Daniel Boone, and a permanent settlement was established by James Harrod in 1774. Kentucky is famed for tobacco crops, growing corn used in whiskey and the thorough breeding of racehorses (the only state with its name in a triple crown event). However, before you cancel the bachelor/stag party trip to Vegas, favoring a weekend of debauchery in the first State of the Western Frontier, you should know that of the 130 counties in Kentucky, a whopping 75 are dry, and a further 15 are moist (I'm not exactly sure what that means, but I'd guess that mooning the staff at Taco Bell is probably not a good idea). State Capital: Frankfort.
Nov 10, 2010
I'm One Quarter Numismatist.
It's been a long time since I routinely kept paper money about my person. I tend to use either my credit card or cheques. My wallet has what could be best described as vestigial compartments for coins or banknotes, so when I break a note I have no real system in place to deal with the ensuing change. I tend to throw loose coins into my bag, my coat pockets or over my shoulder in the car with little interest in what becomes of them. The only times I ever follow up on my ducats are the rare occasions that I want something out of a vending machine. Then it becomes an all out scavenger hunt through my belongings to put together one dollar and five cents for a bag of crisps (chips). On one of these recent pursuits -I think on this occasion I wanted coffee -I realized that an oddly high proportion of my quarters were State quarters. I had four in all: Texas, Missouri, Montana and Indiana. I have never really paid much attention to the inscriptions on these quarters, but it struck me as a pity to spend so many at once (and, more importantly, I had enough in non-state quarters for my coffee). I took them back to my lab, and on my lunch break, I looked up what each of the inscriptions represents. I found a pretty neat website that has a brief description of each State's quarter. It seemed like a reasonably fun way to learn about each State. As I can get a lot closer to listing the fifty States than I can in listing the 26 counties of Ireland (on a recent attempt, I produced 19, two of which turned out to be towns), and as I will be taking my citizenship exam soon, it seemed like a moderately good idea to try and collect all 50 State quarters and read up on each one as I come across them. On my subsequent coffee trip, I was given 25¢ in change, which turned out to be the South Carolina State quarter. I should have been given 20¢, so I gave the teller 5¢ and checked the Palmetto State off my list.
Here's what I have learnt so far:
8. South Carolina
The Palmetto State, so named because a log cabin was built out of Palmetto trees by colonists in 1776 and used to hold off British soldiers. The coin has the shape of the state, a Palmetto tree, and a Carolina wren holding yellow Jessamine, all of which are state symbols. It is the eighth coin in the State Quarters collection because South Carolina, one of the original 13 colonies, was the 8th State to be admitted to the Union on May 23, 1788. Before gaining statehood, South Carolina was part of the Province of Carolina, named by King Charles II for his father, King Charles I, using the Latin of Charles: Carolus. Evidently, naming it the Province of Daddy-Issues was a little on the nose for Chuck. Not famed for putting chinks in the glass ceiling, South Carolina dragged its heels on ratifying the 1919 19th Amendment until 1969 (and not certifying that ratification until 1973). Only Mississippi joined the Missi-Voters later than South Carolina (1984!). State Capital: Columbia.
19. Indiana
The Hoosier State (#1 in ridiculous origin stories for State monikers) was the 19th State to be admitted to the Union on December 11, 1816. The coin face has a racecar (making it the only State with a palindromic symbol), the outline of the State, and nineteen stars to represent its position on the statehood time-line. The racecar symbolizes the Indy 500, which has been run every year since 1911, with the exception of the World Wars. Indiana has more miles of highway per square mile than any other State, a fact they are so proud of that "The Crossroads of America" is emblazoned across every license plate. So, if you want to stop somewhere to get gas, stretch your legs, and maybe grab a 32oz. Slurpee™ while en route to Grandma's for Thanksgiving, this is the State for you. State Capital: Indianapolis.
24. Missouri
The Show Me State was the 24th to be admitted to the Union on August 10th, 1821 as part of the Missouri Compromise. Basically, they could be a State and still sell slaves (Yay?). Accordingly, Maine was admitted as a Free State to keep the balance of Slave and Free States in the Senate. The State quarter has a depiction of Lewis and Clark returning along the Missouri River, with the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial/Gateway Arch in the background. The phrase "Corps of Discovery" on the coin refers to the body commissioned by Thomas Jefferson to explore what they had bought in the Louisiana Purchase (Missouri itself being part of that purchase). It came cheaply because Napoleon had a war to fund and was therefore a "motivated seller". This brought about the 1804-1806 Lewis and Clark Expedition which was the first overland trip to the Pacific Ocean (and back). Thank goodness for Eisenhower's 1956 Highway act, or it would still take us two years to get out to the West Coast by car. Now, the tedious trip down the freeway just feels about that long. Despite the many references to Thomas Jefferson in Missouri's history, he was from Virginia and never actually lived there. Rather, he set a lot of policies that impacted the history of the State. Nevertheless, it's fun to mention him because he is my favourite of the Founding Fathers (And, yes. I have an answer to that question. Suck it, Palin!). State Capital: Jefferson City.
28. Texas
The Lone Star State became the 28th State on December 29th, 1845. Its coin features an outline of the State with a single, or lone, star surrounded by a lariat (big rope). The lariat symbolizes the role of the Cowboy in Texan history. The pre-colonized Texas was home to many diverse peoples who lived in relative harmony, and the word Texas fittingly comes from the Caddoan word for "Friend". This cultural love-in would have continued, owing to a general disinterest on the part of European colonists in the region were it not for René Robert Cavelier de La Salle, whose miscalculations caused a settlement there, instead of along the Mississippi River, in 1685. His miscalculations were also the basis of the hit show in that era, "I'm a European, Get Me out of Here!", and the settlement was abandoned four years later. European colonization continued concurrently with turf wars between the colonists and Mexico, until the Republic of Texas was born in 1836. The Alamo happened after this, so the R.o.T's woes were far from over just because they called themselves a country. After defeating Mexico, the inevitable in-fighting began. Specifically, to join the Union or not? Mirabeau B. Lamar was a nationalist who wanted to keep the Republic of Texas, whereas Sam Houston was a proponent of the annexation of Texas to the Union. I don't want to spoil the ending for you, but Lamar county has a population of less than 50,000 touting Lamar's grave as its one and only landmark (according to Google Maps), whereas Houston is the largest city in the Texas (4th largest in the country) with a population of over 2 million. I'm loathe to make too many jokes about the Lone Star State, because I like many others have completely misinterpreted the trademarked (seriously, they sue!) anti-littering motto, "Don't Mess with Texas". State Capital: Austin.
41. Montana
The Big Sky Country joined the Union on November 8th, 1889. The coin features a Bison head, important to the indigenous Native American people of Montana, hovering over a representation of the State's landscape. Everything east of the Continental Divide (a diagonal line across the State formed by geological formations) came with the Louisiana purchase. I can't find any information on where the other half came from, so I'll have to assume it was a free gift for test-driving a covered wagon. Montana attracted fur-trappers and then gold-rushers in the 1860's. Evidently, the prospectors didn't bring many female traveling companions with them, because Montana has the third lowest population density of any State. That said, it's the bovine equivalent of Manhattan. Montana is politically a swing state, with a slightly bluish hue. Of current note is the democratic Senator Max Baucus who unveiled the Health Reform bill (meaning the so-called Obamacare would more accurately be referred to as Baucucare Bill). State Capital: Helena.
Phew, that was a long post. Assuming I don't get 75¢ in State Quarters when I next break a dollar, the future entries should be a bit shorter.
Here's what I have learnt so far:
8. South Carolina
The Palmetto State, so named because a log cabin was built out of Palmetto trees by colonists in 1776 and used to hold off British soldiers. The coin has the shape of the state, a Palmetto tree, and a Carolina wren holding yellow Jessamine, all of which are state symbols. It is the eighth coin in the State Quarters collection because South Carolina, one of the original 13 colonies, was the 8th State to be admitted to the Union on May 23, 1788. Before gaining statehood, South Carolina was part of the Province of Carolina, named by King Charles II for his father, King Charles I, using the Latin of Charles: Carolus. Evidently, naming it the Province of Daddy-Issues was a little on the nose for Chuck. Not famed for putting chinks in the glass ceiling, South Carolina dragged its heels on ratifying the 1919 19th Amendment until 1969 (and not certifying that ratification until 1973). Only Mississippi joined the Missi-Voters later than South Carolina (1984!). State Capital: Columbia.
19. Indiana
The Hoosier State (#1 in ridiculous origin stories for State monikers) was the 19th State to be admitted to the Union on December 11, 1816. The coin face has a racecar (making it the only State with a palindromic symbol), the outline of the State, and nineteen stars to represent its position on the statehood time-line. The racecar symbolizes the Indy 500, which has been run every year since 1911, with the exception of the World Wars. Indiana has more miles of highway per square mile than any other State, a fact they are so proud of that "The Crossroads of America" is emblazoned across every license plate. So, if you want to stop somewhere to get gas, stretch your legs, and maybe grab a 32oz. Slurpee™ while en route to Grandma's for Thanksgiving, this is the State for you. State Capital: Indianapolis.
24. Missouri
The Show Me State was the 24th to be admitted to the Union on August 10th, 1821 as part of the Missouri Compromise. Basically, they could be a State and still sell slaves (Yay?). Accordingly, Maine was admitted as a Free State to keep the balance of Slave and Free States in the Senate. The State quarter has a depiction of Lewis and Clark returning along the Missouri River, with the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial/Gateway Arch in the background. The phrase "Corps of Discovery" on the coin refers to the body commissioned by Thomas Jefferson to explore what they had bought in the Louisiana Purchase (Missouri itself being part of that purchase). It came cheaply because Napoleon had a war to fund and was therefore a "motivated seller". This brought about the 1804-1806 Lewis and Clark Expedition which was the first overland trip to the Pacific Ocean (and back). Thank goodness for Eisenhower's 1956 Highway act, or it would still take us two years to get out to the West Coast by car. Now, the tedious trip down the freeway just feels about that long. Despite the many references to Thomas Jefferson in Missouri's history, he was from Virginia and never actually lived there. Rather, he set a lot of policies that impacted the history of the State. Nevertheless, it's fun to mention him because he is my favourite of the Founding Fathers (And, yes. I have an answer to that question. Suck it, Palin!). State Capital: Jefferson City.
28. Texas
The Lone Star State became the 28th State on December 29th, 1845. Its coin features an outline of the State with a single, or lone, star surrounded by a lariat (big rope). The lariat symbolizes the role of the Cowboy in Texan history. The pre-colonized Texas was home to many diverse peoples who lived in relative harmony, and the word Texas fittingly comes from the Caddoan word for "Friend". This cultural love-in would have continued, owing to a general disinterest on the part of European colonists in the region were it not for René Robert Cavelier de La Salle, whose miscalculations caused a settlement there, instead of along the Mississippi River, in 1685. His miscalculations were also the basis of the hit show in that era, "I'm a European, Get Me out of Here!", and the settlement was abandoned four years later. European colonization continued concurrently with turf wars between the colonists and Mexico, until the Republic of Texas was born in 1836. The Alamo happened after this, so the R.o.T's woes were far from over just because they called themselves a country. After defeating Mexico, the inevitable in-fighting began. Specifically, to join the Union or not? Mirabeau B. Lamar was a nationalist who wanted to keep the Republic of Texas, whereas Sam Houston was a proponent of the annexation of Texas to the Union. I don't want to spoil the ending for you, but Lamar county has a population of less than 50,000 touting Lamar's grave as its one and only landmark (according to Google Maps), whereas Houston is the largest city in the Texas (4th largest in the country) with a population of over 2 million. I'm loathe to make too many jokes about the Lone Star State, because I like many others have completely misinterpreted the trademarked (seriously, they sue!) anti-littering motto, "Don't Mess with Texas". State Capital: Austin.
41. Montana
The Big Sky Country joined the Union on November 8th, 1889. The coin features a Bison head, important to the indigenous Native American people of Montana, hovering over a representation of the State's landscape. Everything east of the Continental Divide (a diagonal line across the State formed by geological formations) came with the Louisiana purchase. I can't find any information on where the other half came from, so I'll have to assume it was a free gift for test-driving a covered wagon. Montana attracted fur-trappers and then gold-rushers in the 1860's. Evidently, the prospectors didn't bring many female traveling companions with them, because Montana has the third lowest population density of any State. That said, it's the bovine equivalent of Manhattan. Montana is politically a swing state, with a slightly bluish hue. Of current note is the democratic Senator Max Baucus who unveiled the Health Reform bill (meaning the so-called Obamacare would more accurately be referred to as Baucucare Bill). State Capital: Helena.
Phew, that was a long post. Assuming I don't get 75¢ in State Quarters when I next break a dollar, the future entries should be a bit shorter.
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