From the earliest days of the nation anyone with an intelligence equal to that of sparrows had realized that the peninsula ought logically to be united as one state, but historical accident had decreed that one portion be assigned to Maryland, whose citizens despised the Eastern Shore and considered it a backwater; one portion to the so-called state of Delaware, which never could find any reasonable justification for its existence; and the final portion to Virginia, which allowed its extreme southern fragment of the Eastern Shore to become the most pitiful orphan in America.
From the inception of the nation, it was evident that the Chesapeake Peninsula should function as a single entity. However, various historical circumstances led to its division among Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia. Each of these regions had unique perceptions and attitudes towards the land. Maryland's residents viewed the Eastern Shore with disdain, considering it inferior, while Delaware struggled to establish its significance. Virginia, on the other hand, left the southern part of the Eastern Shore to languish, creating a sense of abandonment.
James A. Michener's portrayal highlights the unfortunate decisions that resulted in this division, emphasizing the arbitrary nature of state boundaries. He suggests that the context of historical accidents shaped the identity of each area differently, leading to feelings of neglect and unimportance. The narrative reflects on the challenges faced by these regions stemming from their fragmented status and the differing attitudes of the citizenship that governed them.
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