How the States got their shapes (Part 7: Living on the edge)

Have you ever wonder how some of our states are shaped the way they are, or why? Well, a one-time documentary series called "How the States got their shapes" on the History Channel tried to answer some of those questions about them.

This is the final part of this 7-part series about this documentary where I tell you what was talked about on some of those episodes, and I'll give my own opinion on it, or know what the episodes didn't tell you. In the episode "Living on the edge", Brian goes to some "unusual places" in the country, and even talks about some of the nation's "Blank Spots" on the US Map.

### What are Blank Spots

These "Blank Spots on the US Map are areas of Military bases and other facilities, what makes them special in this episode? Because they're "Top Secret". Nobody knows exactly goes on at these "Blank" military bases.

To go to one of these "blank spots", Brian heads to Nevada and meets a........bit of a nutjob who knows something about some generic looking planes that are painted white with red stripes, going by the code name "Janet". What are these "Janet Planes"? Well, these are planes that are going to one of the "Blank Spots", and (ironically) one of the most famous one; Area 51.

As a matter of fact, you can actually track these Janet Planes on a radar, and even pick up their radio transmissions, as long as they stay in civilian airspace. But as they take off and move to Area 51, they vanish, like ghosts.

Brian then heads out into the dry, seemingly lifeless desert of Nevada, and even talks about how this dry, desert wasteland was one of the worst places to travel to if you wanted to get to California, especially without the necessary provisions like food, or water. As he meets the whacko me met in Las Vegas and this whacko tells him about Area 51.

You might think of Area 51 and because it's a top secret facility that there would be security so tight, it'll make your nuts ache, such as a high, concrete wall, barbed wire, guard towers, and all that jazz. But no, there isn't there's bright orange posts all around, and that is where you can get yourself shot if you cross the posts. The whacko even tells Brian that Area 51 is actually one part of an entire military base right in the middle of Nevada. In fact, there are a number of aircraft that were constructed in Area 51, like the B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber, and the F-117 Nighthawk Jet fighter as both use stealth technology, but it is possible that every project in Area 51 may never be disclosed to the public. The episode also said that some of the top scientists that worked at Area 51 were also some of the regulars at some of Las Vegas' Casinos, which helped Vegas become a thriving city.

Brian then heads to New Mexico to talk about something that \*was\* top secret.

In July of 1945, a team of Atomic Scientists led by J. Robert Oppenheimer detonated an atomic bomb in the open desert in New Mexico. A place we will know as Trinity.

This triangular obelisk stands where the tested A-Bomb was detonated in 1945. The thing is, the explosion can be heard miles away, and even shattered windows in houses miles away and the booming sound was very loud. What the press released at the time was some munition dumps exploded at a nearby base, and this was acceptable for the people, the secret of the Atomic Bomb didn't come out until Fat Man was dropped on Nagasaki on August 9, 1945.

Trinity, New Mexico (also known as White Sands) was actually 1 of 4 possible sites to test the A-Bomb, the others were Padre Island (off the coast of Texas) Central Colorado, and the Mojave Desert in California. This place is picked on Oppenheimer's request as he remembers White Sands from summer vacations with his family, and it was also close to Los Alamos (where the A-Bombs were developed).

### From Silo to House

In this part of the episode, Brian heads to Kansas for an unusual meeting with a couple and their home.

Their home, it \*was\* a nuclear missile silo.

During the Cold War, and the fear of an all out nuclear conflict between the US and the USSR would spell the end of the world. So, America had to know where to put their silos. They weren't on either the east or west coasts, but in the heart of our nation. This would make it difficult for Soviet bombers to take out these silos.

Now, with the Cold War over, some of these missile silos are now being converted to residential homes, though some of the equipment are still present in some of these homes.

### Welcome to the Conch Republic

In the last part of this episode, Brian heads south to Key West, Florida. For a self-proclaimed republic named after a seashell.

Key West can be sometimes known to the locals as the "Conch Republic", this is because back in the 1980s, the US Government set up custom barriers on what connects Florida to the Keys, and this greatly effected the local economy and the people in Key West got so upset that they wanted to declare their own independence. One time in the history of the Conch Republic, US border patrol came and tried to take on Key West, but the residents pushed them back (successfully, too) by using stale bread. The Conch Republic never actually seceded from the US, but this is considered by some as just having a load of fun.

Well, that'll conclude the 7-part wiki series of How the States got their shapes. Don't forget to check out my Games and Movies wikis as well. Until next time, this is JohnnyOTGS signing out.