WI/AHC: US Natural State Borders

So, what if and how do you go about getting the state borders to be more natural (based on rivers, mountains, etc., than what we have with straight lines galore
 
So, what if and how do you go about getting the state borders to be more natural (based on rivers, mountains, etc., than what we have with straight lines galore

Make the craft of land surveying less developed and reliable? So land charters are usually not granted based on lines of latitude, but on river courses and watersheds? So frex New York Colony is "all the land whose waters run to the sea via the Hudson River"? etc.?

That, of course, would just invite later problems.
 
Have the country grow larger more quickly. With population patterns out of sync with territorial growth, the Louisiana Purchase might look better as between one and four states instead of about a dozen or so historically. Perhaps this development is the result of the Canadas joining the WAr for Independence, and the border with the areas remaining British being based on drainage areas.
 
Some of the State and international borders are already based on natural borders:
300px-US_States_Riverine_Borders.jpg

And America's longest river, the Mississippi, is used as the natural border for 10 states.
dividi70.gif

The problem is, when you get political. If you used the three major rivers of Arkansas, Colorado and Rio Grande as the borders of Texas, this would lead to it being not only the biggest state, but also gives the state a larger area of resources to use, when it enters the Civil war.
smallriogranderiver.jpg
 
Texas did make three attempts to take over the Province of Nuevo Mexico.

1. 1842 Sante Fe which surrendered to militia

2. 1843 Warfield raid on Mora. Killed five farmers, took 15 women and chldren as slaves. The locals who were out in mountains caught up and killed most of the Texans, took their boots and sent them back on foot. The locals were professional buffalo hunters and Comancheros/Indian fighters.

3. Snively raid - (170 man strong Battalion of Invincibles) was intercepted by US cavalry. Most of the Invincibles gave up. The rest if the "Invincbles" attacked an official wagon train of New Mexico and were defeated. Guess they were vincible.
 
Top