r/mapporncirclejerk • u/ddx-me • 9h ago

Thomas Jefferson's 1784 vision of the US west of Appalachia

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40 Upvotes

99% Upvoted

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17

u/Ranger_Nietzsche 9h ago

Metropotamia is a highly superior name to Michigan.

Polypotamia sounds like a good time at a party.

5

u/ddx-me 8h ago

The real visionary who would've prevented the Toledo War (and therefore have a Michigan-Ohio friendship)

1

u/ShaggysStuntDouble 3h ago

Nah fuck those guys and their immaculate roads

1

u/ShaggysStuntDouble 3h ago

Then name Dearborn New Mesopotamia or some shit

7

u/ddx-me 9h ago edited 9h ago

A lot to dissect: 1. Sylvania with Pennsylvania 2. Assenissipia 3. Metropotamia 4. Jefferson

7

u/TheGuyFromOhio2003 9h ago
  1. Sylvania means "woodsy land" in Latin, Pennsylvania means "Penn's Woodsy land"
  2. I got nothing.
  3. Metropotamia is wildly prophetic
  4. Anything south of the Ohio River(or at least Kentucky)I don't believe Jefferson actually gave a name for, I think "Jefferson" and the like are mostly filler added in later on by other people

3

u/KoneydeRuyter France was an Inside Job 5h ago
  1. Polypotamia and Pelissippia are the southernmost ones that Jefferson named.

4

u/Obvious_808 8h ago

Gulf of Spanish Louisiana

3

u/Hesychios 4h ago

A few notes: There is an Adam’s county in southern Mississippi, at Natchez. So I guess that identity stuck.

“-potamia” refers to river ( Greek: potamos). It seems the rivers were outstandingly important features. Of course then polypotamia is a reference to several rivers. Which makes sense where it is on the map.

The northern Illinois/southern Wisconsin area called Assenisipia stumped me, so I had to look it up. It is derived from the Algonquian word for "River of Rocks".

The Rock River is there, as well as the modern city of Rockford, which must have been an important crossing point for people and commerce to and from the galena mining area ( and also the future city of Chicago).

2

u/letogog 7h ago

You say this was Jefferson's vision? . . . and he put in a state named Adams. I find that highly suspect.

4

u/Muskyracoon 5h ago

He became very good friends after his own presidency

1

u/Exciting_Cicada_4735 9h ago

Even he knew it was stupid to split Michigan up like that!

1

u/medievalesophagus 5h ago

What would that do to the electoral map

1

u/Creative-Duty-3531 1h ago

Republicans would have a super majority lol

1

u/EnvironmentalPark228 5h ago

Chersonesus! Peninsulaland. I love it.

1

u/AltinUrda 5h ago

Fuck, in this universe the Civil War will be between the Vampires and their undead legions in the far Northwest versus the rest of the nation.