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American capitals : a historical geography / Christian Montès.
Author
Montès, Christian
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Format
Book
Language
English
Published/Created
Chicago ; London : The University of Chicago Press, 2014.
©2014
Description
394 pages : illustrations, map ; 24 cm.
Availability
Copies in the Library
Location
Call Number
Status
Location Service
Notes
Architecture Library - Stacks
E180 .M66 2014
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Details
Subject(s)
Capitals (Cities)
—
United States
—
History
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Series
University of Chicago geography research paper ; no. 247.
[More in this series]
University of Chicago geography research paper ; number 247
[More in this series]
Summary note
"State capitals are an indelible part of the American psyche, spatial representations of state power and national identity. Learning them by heart is a rite of passage in grade school, a pedagogical exercise that emphasises the importance of committing place-names to memory. But geographers have yet to analyse state capitals in any depth. In American Capitals, Christian Montès takes us on a well-researched journey across America--shedding light along the way on the historical circumstances that led to their appointment, their success or failure, and their evolution over time. While all state capitals have a number of characteristics in common--as symbols of the state, as embodiments of political power and decision making, as public spaces with private interests--Montès does not interpret them through a single lens, in large part because of the differences in their spatial and historical evolutionary patterns. Some have remained small, while others have evolved into bustling metropolises, and Montès explores the dynamics of change and growth. All but eleven state capitals were established in the nineteenth century, thirty-five before 1861, but, rather astonishingly, only eight of the fifty states have maintained their original capitals. Despite their revered status as the most monumental and historical cities in America, capitals come from surprisingly humble beginnings, often plagued by instability, conflict, hostility, and corruption. Montès reminds us of the period in which they came about, "an era of pioneer and idealized territorial vision," coupled with a still-evolving American citizenry and democracy."--Provided by publisher.
Bibliographic references
Includes bibliographical references (pages 367-387) and index.
Contents
Capitals: a new light on American cities and territorial processes
Capitals as places of memory
Geographical patterns in the migration of capitals
In search of explanatory models
Capital choice and the balance of power
Evolution of state capitals to the 1950s: the "purgatory years"
State capitals since the 1950s: the renaissance of forgotten cities
Validating models through a chronological and concrete analysis: three case studies
Losing status: the place of former capitals in today's America
State capitals today: symbols of American democracy.
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ISBN
9780226080482 ((cloth ; : alkaline paper))
022608048X ((cloth ; : alkaline paper))
LCCN
2013031757
OCLC
840465511
Other standard number
40023305006
Statement on language in description
Princeton University Library aims to describe library materials in a manner that is respectful to the individuals and communities who create, use, and are represented in the collections we manage.
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American capitals : a historical geography / Christian Montès.
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