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I wasn't referring to the St. Louis area. I was referring to rural southern Missouri, which has a culture very similar to that of Arkansas.
You didnt read the entire post.
The term hoosier is used by Missourians all over the entire state, the term was introduced in STL in the 40s.
We dont call each other hillbillies, only non-natives do that.
Hence the hoosier posts.
Southern Missouri has a culture similar to Arkansas......... really?
Sedalia and Corning are soooooooo alike.
Thats like saying KC is just like Denver.
coming from the east coast, missouri has always been considered a midwestern state, at least among the educated circles i associated with. those who adamantly disagree with that designation should take their grievances up with the united states census and 90% of the contemporary regional maps available.
the mere fact that missouri draws more from other regions than other states in the midwest does not invalidate its standing as a midwest state. the u.p. of michigan feels nothing like the southern tip of illinois; central indiana feels nothing like central minnesota and northeast ohio feels nothing like north dakota. in other words: the midwest is a diverse region of diverse landscapes, diverse cultures, diverse cities and diverse ecology. attempting to place a vast region like this into a pretty little box and say something so trite such as, "missouri is not like the other states in the midwest" is just so asinine it reeks of shallowness and a fundamental lack of understanding of the cultural and geographic variety of this country.
guess what-- not all northeastern states are the same either. my home state of pennsylvania is more like a midwestern state than it is like maine, yet pennsylvania is almost always grouped in with the northeast. do you really think every southern state is the same? does southern florida have anything in common with central arkansas? get over these ridiculous litmus tests for what states belong to what regions. some of you sound dumber and dumber with each post. regions are big, and they are primarily divided for geographic and economic purposes.
I wasn't referring to the St. Louis area. I was referring to rural southern Missouri, which has a culture very similar to that of Arkansas.
i urge you to visit parts of south central pennsylvania. culture there is "very similar to that of Arkansas" as well.
if you're trying to classify "southern feeling" states, i will tell you with certainty that the southern portions of missouri, illinois and indiana are virtually indistinguishable from one another.
while there are certain identifiable cultural differences (usually due to different economic dynamics), rural america is much more similar from region to region than a lot of you would like to admit. there isn't a huge difference in culture and lifestyle between rural maryland and rural oklahoma. rural america comes with its own consummate characteristics no matter where in the country you go. the big exception would be the deep south, where racial composition factors in moreso than in other parts of the country. it's one of the few places where african americans are found in rural areas in large numbers.
You didnt read the entire post.
The term hoosier is used by Missourians all over the entire state, the term was introduced in STL in the 40s.
We dont call each other hillbillies, only non-natives do that.
Hence the hoosier posts.
Southern Missouri has a culture similar to Arkansas......... really?
Sedalia and Corning are soooooooo alike.
Thats like saying KC is just like Denver.
Examples: Gainesville, West Plains, Ava, Poplar Bluff. All towns along and south of highway 60. Most agree that these are not Midwest places for the most part.
Examples: Gainesville, West Plains, Ava, Poplar Bluff. All towns along and south of highway 60. Most agree that these are not Midwest places for the most part.
PB is classified as part of the Bootheel (which is the South), people there pretty much identify themselves as flat landers, while Greenville, Ellsinore, Williamsville, Lodi and Piedmont consider themselves Ozarkian, not Southern, all these towns are withing a 30 mile radius of PB, but culturally different.
My moms family is from the Poplar Bluff area, there is much about it I could tell you, they were there long before Butler county was platted out.
Last edited by kshe95girl; 10-27-2010 at 10:43 PM..
Reason: punctuation
i urge you to visit parts of south central pennsylvania. culture there is "very similar to that of Arkansas" as well.
if you're trying to classify "southern feeling" states, i will tell you with certainty that the southern portions of missouri, illinois and indiana are virtually indistinguishable from one another.
while there are certain identifiable cultural differences (usually due to different economic dynamics), rural america is much more similar from region to region than a lot of you would like to admit. there isn't a huge difference in culture and lifestyle between rural maryland and rural oklahoma. rural america comes with its own consummate characteristics no matter where in the country you go. the big exception would be the deep south, where racial composition factors in moreso than in other parts of the country. it's one of the few places where african americans are found in rural areas in large numbers.
southern portions of Illinois and Indiana don't come close to souther MO in the area of steep terrain and # of single wide, flat roofed, mobile homes.
Can't think of any areas of the midwest that even comes close to So Mo in those 2 categories.
^i guarantee you southern pennsylvania can give southern missouri a run for its money on your criteria. perhaps we should call pennsylvania a southern state too?
"In the Religion by Region Project, the states of Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas comprise the Southern Crossroads. These "showdown" states share a history of sharp religious and cultural clashes across intersecting geographical boundary lines, including those demarcating French and Spanish territories from the Anglo-American colonies, and Indian Territory from the rest of the nation. The Southern Crossroads is also famously the region of the United States in which the culture of the Southeast meets that of the West. The majority of pioneer settlers of the Southern Crossroads states were drawn from the slave states of the Old South. The Southern culture that they imported into the Crossroads states, however, underwent important adaptations as it interacted in the early 19th century with French, Hispanic, and native American cultures on the westernmost frontier of the cotton kingdom."
"The Deep South
By Stephen S. Birdsall and John Florin
The region of southern culture – the Deep South – can be viewed as a geographic composite of beliefs, attitudes, patterns, habits, and institutions. Many of the early patterns and current changes are explicitly geographic; many others have geographic consequences."
Here's the deal:
I do not care if Missourians want to be considered Midwestern, Southern, or Hound-Dog Hepcats from the Romulan Empire, BUT after on this (and one other) thread seeing the passion, anger, insults directed to myself and others- anyone- who dares to state the obvious- that Mo. is a crossroads for Upland Southern, and Midwestern culture and speech, I got curious as to see where that anger eminates.
So I did some research......... (and granted the anger seems among the few, not the many).
Anyway, the three sites posted show:
A. Missouri is indeed a transition area with many Southern cultural characteristics
B. Missouri (like my home state of South Carolina) is still fighting the damn Civil War. But in Missouri's case it (like the original) is a civil war within THE Civil War.
C. Some even classify SE Missouri (mainly the Bootheel) as the Deep South.
So, that's all I got for ya.
To quote the late, great American Philosopher (and liquor store hold-up artist) Rodney King:
'Can't we all just get along.'
Last edited by Geechie North; 10-28-2010 at 09:27 AM..
you state obvious facts, but that doesn't have much to do with the discussion. the thread devolved into a discussion of what constitutes the midwest geographically, and missouri is almost always considered a part of the midwest. according to the us government, it is officially a midwestern state. not a southern state, not an "upland south" state, not a border state, not a transitional state...a midwestern state. your personal perspectives are fine and all, but they don't change the show-me state's designation as a midwestern state.
if you want to talk about southern characteristics, there is no doubt that southern missouri is full of southern influence. so are southern illinois, indiana, ohio, pennsylvania, and maryland. missouri was a border state during the civil war (as was maryland), whereas illinois, indiana and ohio were not-- you feel better now? that said, indiana still has overwhelming southern characteristics and in many ways even more than missouri. what you continue to ignore is the non-southern influence in missouri, which is every bit as noteworthy. so again, geechie, you have selective attention.
by the way, you may be surprised to know that maryland had many more slaves for a much longer period than missouri did, and missouri always had a much, much larger free black population than maryland throughout the civil war.
B. Missouri (like my home state of South Carolina) is still fighting the damn Civil War. But in Missouri's case it (like the original) is a civil war within THE Civil War.
Hardly.
Having lived in rural Central Florida for 21 years(which is the Deep South, due to its rural status) I can say that any perceived issues that Missouri may have about the Civil War are erroneous.
Heres the long and short of it.
Just because you read something does not make it so.
One has to live, not just visit in a particular region to truly understand the attitudes and and characteristics of said region.
One last note, you keep saying some posters are angry?
I know that is directed at me, so let me tell you this. Ignorance displayed by posters spouting off on a subject that they know diddly about makes me angry, especially when someone that has a depth of knowledge about a subject posts and is derided by the poster that has a dearth of knowledge on said subject.
Ignorance is easy to overcome, all the poster has to do is open their mind and admit that they are not as expert on a subject as they like to think.
Check that ego at the door! I promise no harm shall come to it.
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