How were the boarders of each state in the US decided??

Question

what was the determining factors for the shape of each state in the US

Answer 1

for a lot of eastern states, it was natural features like rivers, mountain crests. But in the western states the borders were mostly determined by politics.
How else could you get rectangular states like Wyoming and Colorado?

Answer 2

The borders of the state were decided upon where people lived back the a state need so many people in a territory to become a state.

Answer 3

In most cases, the physical topography dictated the shape, but not necessarily the size of the state.

When we began expanding westward, all we found was more and more land (albeit, occupied land). We took so much of it at once and claimed it as our own that in some cases, an arbitrary line was drawn to divide the area into smaller sections for governing.

In other cases, we bought the land from other countries that had also laid claim to parts of what is now the U.S. This included the Louisiana Purchase, Hawaii and Alaska, Texas, Florida, etc.

We also bought other places, but I'm not sure how they decided not to make them states. Places like Puerto Rico, Cuba (yes, we owned it), Guam, the Virgin Islands all remain our property or territory, but we don't count them as states.

With Cuba, we bought it from Spain for $130 million and then liberated it and gave them their freedom. I'm not sure what we got out of that deal other than the port at Guantanamo, but pre-Castro, Cubans were our close friends.

Answer 4

The 13 British colonies decided to fight the British for Independence and on their success, they decided to form a nation consisting of 13 States, making it a federal State.

Answer 5

Most of the straight borders they just made up and kind of came up with, but for the curvy ones, normally, they were along rivers.

Answer 6

typically they have to do with geography... the way they curve hills, creeks, rivers, etc

Answer 7

its where they found the dotted lines