It dawned on me recently how the names and locations of the top 5 most populous cities in the United States tell the story of the nation:
New York, in the east, with the English name, representing the history of our relationship with England.
Los Angeles, in the west, with the Spanish name representing the history of our relationship with Mexico.
Chicago, in the north, from the Potawatomi for “wild garlic place”, representing the history of Native Americans.
Houston, in the south, named after Sam Houston, president of the Republic of Texas, representing the history of the Wild West.
Philadelphia, in the east, Greek for “brotherly love”, representing the ancient origins within the founding of the nation.
This has a nice round feel to it. That is, until Phoenix comes for that fifth spot…
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