Why Are There 2 Portlands in the USA 🇺🇸 Oregon vs Maine 🤯 #TikTokLearningCampaign #History #geography #portland #oregon

This is Portland, the largest city in Oregon, and this is one of the largest cities in Maine, also Portland. Same name, but on opposite sides of the U.S. So, who thought this was a good idea? Well, it was decided, literally, by a coin flip. 1783, the U.S. just gained independence after a war with Britain, and, like in most wars, cities burned to the ground. That's exactly what happens to a town called Phelps. They decide to rebuild part of it, and in the end, give it a new name. All right, let's see what we have. We have Port, and we have Land. Hmm. I know Land Port. Eventually, they can't come up with a name, so they just name it after the English Isle of Portland. That's how Portland appears. Over the next century, the U.S. moves further west, all the way to the Pacific Ocean. And here, on the banks of the Columbia River, a new city appears. And it needs a name. We have Port, and we have Land. Hmm. I know, Boston. The thing is, the city has two founders. Asa Lovejoy wants Boston because he's from there. And Francis Petty Grove wants Portland. Yeah, because he's from there. They can't agree, so they just decide to flip a coin. Ha, Portland, loser, and just like that, a coin decides the name of one of the major cities on the the West Coast. Funny enough, it could have easily been two Boston's.