The US Explained

Where the American South meets the American West, this is a land of cattle ranchers, cowboys, and oilmen, of Cajuns, of border towns where Spanish has been spoken long before this place was ever called Texas, of wide-open starlit skies and of skyscraper-studded cities where people have come from across the country and the world seeking the opportunity that it promises. An independent country that chose to join the United States, Texans retain their strong sense of identity and pride that has made their state, and its distinct regional culture, iconic across the globe. This is that story. Episode 29 - Texas.

Florida - It's a land of swamps and islands, beautiful yet for much of its history remote, a backwater jutting into the Gulf of Mexico. Today though, it's the third most populous state in the country, a global tourist destination, a diverse meeting point of cultures from across the hemisphere, and a state that year after year, decade after decade, has been one of the fastest growing places in America, a place whose name is known the world over. This is its story. Episode 28 - Florida.

Michigan - mountains and mines, wild forests, islands, and lakes sit together with one of the largest cities in the country, a heavily urbanized hive of industry home to millions of people. This is a fascinating state - one that tells the story of America - both its failures and its promise. I hope you'll join me to hear it. Episode 27 - Michigan.

Here in Arkansas the swamps and bayous of the fertile Mississippi Delta meet the country’s largest cluster of mountains between the Rockies and Appalachians. A mostly rural state, it’s home to a number of small cities, some of which have become economically vibrant boomtowns. The Natural State is an all too often overlooked corner of the country, packing a beautiful landscape, important history, kind people, and some really fascinating cities and towns into the Lower 48’s smallest state completely west of the Mississippi. This is Episode 26 - Arkansas

Missouri sits in the middle. For the last forty years, it’s been the average center of the country’s population, and today, more than any other, it can claim to be the state where the north meets the south, and the east meets the west. Roughly halfway between the Rockies and the Appalachians, the Canadian border and the Gulf of Mexico, home to flat expanses of farmland, the forested mountains, hills, and cliffs of the Ozarks, and two major American cities, this is Episode 25 - Missouri.

Maine - The state at the northeastern tip of the United States is an outlier. In the heavily urbanized East Coast, it’s predominantly rural. It takes up half of New England’s land area yet has one of the smallest populations in the country, much of it wilderness that’s far removed from any city or town. Thousands of moose roam wild in the forests that surround beautiful mountains and lakes, while the small fishing villages that line an island-filled coast look like they’ve barely changed since as the decades have gone by. It’s home to one of the only national parks in the eastern US, borders more Canadian provinces than US states, and has the country’s second highest proportion of French speakers after just Louisiana, most of whom live in remote towns along the border. With a strong maritime tradition, a beautiful landscape, and an interesting culture, this is Episode 24 - Maine.

The story of Alabama is in large part the story of America, one that has much to be proud of, with progress and innovation, kind people and a strong regional culture, yet at the same time one that has also been marked by violence, prejudice, poverty, and conflict. Above all it’s a story that is essential to understand. Home to forests and farmland, mountains and beaches, small towns and a number of different cities, this is Episode 23 - Alabama.

The river winds through a canyon, at times more than a thousand feet from top to bottom. But unlike the canyons of the west, its walls are made not of earth and rock, but of glass and steel, a man made wonder showcasing some of the most famous buildings in the world, the birthplace of the skyscraper itself. It’s a town that, sitting in one of the most strategically-placed locations in the country, rose from actual ashes to become among the largest and most iconic cities in the world, an essential conduit for global commerce, transportation, and culture, a classic American metropolis that today is the largest US city in the country’s interior. But Illinois is far from just Chicago. It’s home to vast stretches of productive farmland, wide and mighty rivers, and unglaciated pockets of hills and forests. Numerous other smaller cities help make it one of the populous states in the country. While mostly in the Midwest, Illinois is a large state, and its southern tip is culturally more a part of the South. Regionally and culturally diverse, and home to a huge population, Illinois has long played a leading role in the history, society, and culture of the United States. This is Episode 22 - Illinois.

Famed author William Faulkner said of his home state, “to understand the world, you must first understand a place like Mississippi.” As I take you on this journey through every part of the United States, it would be a mistake to ignore the story of the Magnolia State. The challenges it deals with, such as high poverty, low development and quality of life, and an economy that’s struggled to diversify have brought severe economic difficulties to a state with among the worst histories of racism in the United States. In pretty much any statistic generally related to quality of life in a state, Mississippi typically ranks at or near either the bottom or the top, whichever would be worse in that particular instance. Because of this, it’s a state that’s often looked down upon by outsiders. I don’t want to fall into that trap. In this video, like all my videos in this series, I’ll try to present a fair and non judgemental view of the state, sharing the aspects of Mississippi that make it a unique and special place while still not shying away from a frank discussion of the challenges it deals with. After all, Mississippi has a lot to offer - from friendly people, great music, and delicious food, to beautiful beaches on the Gulf Coast, vast pine and oak forests, and the wide and muddy lower reaches of its namesake, one of the largest and most important rivers in the world. This is Episode 21 - Mississippi.

It’s spanned by vast fields of corn and soybeans, making it one of the most agriculturally productive states in the country. Stunning sand dunes, one of the only national parks in the Midwest, stand hundreds of feet tall over the shore of Lake Michigan, and beautiful forests, hills, and river valleys cover much of the state’s southern half. A former industrial powerhouse, whose limestone and steel built some of the country’s most famous buildings, it's home to a major city, a number of smaller ones, as well as the suburbs of one of the largest metropolises in the world. This is Episode 20 - Indiana.