American Nations

History is context, and context is king. Colin Woodard's piece is the history book you wish you had read in high school. Chronicling the colonization (including Spanish, Dutch, British, and French) and subsequent migrations within North America, Woodard illuminates how current political boundaries aren't as meaningful as the various regional cultural identities aka “nations”. (Ever wonder why Ohio is a swing state? 3 regional cultures lie within its bounds.)

As someone who was never really compelled by the textbook version of history taught in high school, Woodard's ethnographic lens brought the continent to life in a whole new way. In this current election year, it subsequently helped me better understand nations and people whom I've been unable to empathize with.