I just noticed this, but has anyone else drawn the similarities in this series to the Revolutionary War? Thirteen colonies, a ruling Capitol that treats the common individual like dirt. I'm starting to wonder if this was indeed what SC was going for?

Well, since I am learning about this in school I did notice this only I think it is a bit different. There is an established Capitol, not a ruler across the sea and each of the Districts have there own thing to do, industry and I don't know, the Capitol seems harsher and technically there are only 12 Districts now because of the harsh Capitol and violent bombing. Oh and they formed new colonies because of disagreements and a group of people would go into a new land and settle it. In the book it sounded like the Capitol set the number of Districts and that is the only way it could ever be. So ultimately I don't think that this is what she was going for maybe, though that is where she got the idea for her starting number of Districts.

Interesting take on it. We're learning about this sort of thing now, too (gives me more incentive to hate America, but w/e).

There are differences, and similarities. I think SC was going for something else (as said in interviews) but they're alike, in a way. Only England wasn't actually as awful as the Capitol XD

No, America just decided to go against a mad king.

I actually connected the (12) districts to the bank system set up in the 1800s simply because the financial situation and I just connected with the dividing the banks by the...oh, nevermind. I think the Revolutionary War concept is much more plausible.

Or maybe it was just a random coincidence (-ish). The number 12 is important in...everything, really. Even the bible.

A really interesting idea, I hadn't made that connection.

It is true that the American settlers were treated like dirt. Many starved during the winters and they were left to fend for themselves, while still having to produce goods for their rulers in England. After a while there became such a disconnect between life in England and life in the Colonies. The more senseless rules and taxes imposed on the colonists, the more the Americans wanted to rebel.

I think there is also a similarity between the idea that the ruling class in England was sophisticated and educated, while the working colonists - while they may have been pioneers and tried to maintain some of the sophistication they came from - were in the early days living in small dirty homes with only what they brought over by ship as their possessions. It reminds me of Katniss' mother who left the merchant class life to marry a coal miner.

sorry if this has been brought up before, but i can't help but feel that there is some sort of connection here... considering that katniss seems to travel very quickly between districts while on the victory tour, i think they're all kind of vaguely grouped together, in the general area of the 13 original colonies. i think the districts are at least all east of the mississippi. i just imgaine them being in one general mid-west to north-east area. agree? disagree?

We know Katniss is from the Appalachian region (W. Virginia/Pennsylvania) and we know that the Capitol is in the Rockies (Colorado). We also know that many of the coasts were destroyed by flooding from all the natural disasters that led to Panem. So the country is presumably smaller than the current US.
I also believe that the districts were described as fanning out in a ring-like formation from the capitol.

I think the speed in which the trains travel is what gets Peeta and Katniss around so quickly. But since the trains need to stop for fuel, it means they are travelling a great distance.

how do we know this? does it say somewhere or are you just guess-timating?

Wait wait wait... The coasts were flooded?

Well, that completely messes up my mental map of where the districts are. lol.

I feel like I remember SC mentioning in an interview that she got the idea of 13 districts from the 13 colonies. Or someone asked her if that was the inspiration. I can't remember. I do know that I've heard it brought up with her before.

I thought they were a ring around the capitol too.
But the farther away they are the poorer the district.
It's spread out.
I guess District 12 is around Virginia, and District 11 near Mississipi, Louisiana, and District 1 must be where Oregon country was
District 13 near Maine
District 4 is probably California
etc.