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Location: Jefferson City 4 days a week, St. Louis 3 days a week
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At one time, Southern Baptists, barbeque, sweet tea, grits, biscuits, etc. all distinguished the South from the rest of the U.S. However, since the early 20th century, barbeque has spread to all parts of the country, Southern Baptists have migrated further north into states like Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Ohio, etc. The speech patterns certainly separate the south from other places as well. Cotton is generally a distinguishing crop of the south, as are peanuts and tobacco. Also, the south generally fries everything. The music is another distinguishing feature..bluegrass, the blues, etc.
At one time, Southern Baptists, barbeque, sweet tea, grits, biscuits, etc. all distinguished the South from the rest of the U.S. However, since the early 20th century, barbeque has spread to all parts of the country, Southern Baptists have migrated further north into states like Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Ohio, etc. The speech patterns certainly separate the south from other places as well. Cotton is generally a distinguishing crop of the south, as are peanuts and tobacco. Also, the south generally fries everything. The music is another distinguishing feature..bluegrass, the blues, etc.
Southern Baptists have been in Missouri since before the Civil War. Many early Missourians were from southern states and were already Baptist. Same thing with far Southern Illinois. I agree with most everything else.
Bluegrass is much more prevalent in the upland south while Blues is tied much more to the Mississippi Delta. Obviously with the great migration the Blues found its way into Chicago, St. Louis, and other Midwestern cities. The same cannot be said about Bluegrass. It seems that Bluegrass migrated to the Ozarks (With the settlers from the mountain south). There are differences between Ozark Music and Appalachian Music however since much of the Ozark Bluegrass has some French influence in it.
I would say that grits and cotton are still pretty restricted to the south. The rest of the things you mentioned have definitely branched out however. Also rice typically defines the lowland South pretty well. Rice is grown in SE Missouri all the way up to the City of Cape Girardeau. It's also grown on the Illinois side of the Mississippi up to roughly Ware.
With the crops thing, the South definitely has a unique climate as well. It's got most of the Humid Subtropical climate covered.
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