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The South to me has always been most of KY, most of VA, some of FL, TN, NC, GA, SC, AL, MS, LA and AR. OK TX are a cousin. I have seen zero southern influence in southern Indiana.
I was just wondering where the boundaries for the Southern region of the US begin. My parents tell me southern Indiana and Illinois are the beginning, while Brownsville, TX is the end.
I've also heard boundaries not begin until Memphis and end in North Florida.
Finally, i've heard boundaries begin as far north as Pine Barrens of New Jersey ( that sounds absolutely absurd to me)
So where is it?
The south officially begins at 116th St in Indianapolis and ends at the Gulf of Mexico.
The South to me has always been most of KY, most of VA, some of FL, TN, NC, GA, SC, AL, MS, LA and AR. OK TX are a cousin. I have seen zero southern influence in southern Indiana.
I'd say you can lump Northern KY, Northern AR, Southern MO, extreme Southern IL, IN, OH, and much of WV together. IMO none of these areas are southern, but they are all pretty "country bumpkin" if that makes sense. You definitely hear the twang.
I'd say you can lump Northern KY, Northern AR, Southern MO, extreme Southern IL, IN, OH, and much of WV together. IMO none of these areas are southern, but they are all pretty "country bumpkin" if that makes sense. You definitely hear the twang.
Just because a place is on the border and is country doesn't make it Southern IMO. A lot of Iowa is country, but it sure ain't Southern.
Just because a place is on the border and is country doesn't make it Southern IMO. A lot of Iowa is country, but it sure ain't Southern.
Exactly. Most of the Eastern half of Washington state, outside of Spokane, is very much 'country'... but i challenge anybody to call it 'Southern'. Why people equate rural with Southern in such a general way anytime since WW2 just baffles me. Talk about an ancient, tired stereotype.
Exactly. Most of the Eastern half of Washington state, outside of Spokane, is very much 'country'... but i challenge anybody to call it 'Southern'. Why people equate rural with Southern in such a general way anytime since WW2 just baffles me. Talk about an ancient, tired stereotype.
But the areas near the border of the south are just different. I grew up in Northern Indiana, and there are plenty of rural areas there, but I have never, ever heard a southern twang in the northern part of the state.
The Bootheel area of S. MO is one example of an area that's somewhat anomalous. I don't see how you could compare it to Deep South, but I also don't see how you could compare it to rural Washington State either. Or rural Minnesota, Michigan, etc. Same goes for a lot of the areas on the cusp. There are lots of historical, linguistic, and cultural aspects of this area that sets it apart from rural parts of the northern Midwest.
Maybe this clarifies my point a little better. The green area is what I'm referring to at least in terms of East-West boundaries, but as a cultural matter at least, I might actually push the southern limits of this area a little further north out of Tennessee, the Carolinas, and of course GA and AL though I'm not as familiar with the parts of those states highlighted.
But the areas near the border of the south are just different. I grew up in Northern Indiana, and there are plenty of rural areas there, but I have never, ever heard a southern twang in the northern part of the state.
The Bootheel area of S. MO is one example of an area that's somewhat anomalous. I don't see how you could compare it to Deep South, but I also don't see how you could compare it to rural Washington State either. Or rural Minnesota, Michigan, etc. Same goes for a lot of the areas on the cusp. There are lots of historical, linguistic, and cultural aspects of this area that sets it apart from rural parts of the northern Midwest.
I don't see how you could separate the bootheel from the deep south myself. Cotton and rice farming and a high black population in the rural areas, with the dialect, foods and cultural traditions to boot. Yeah technically it is in Missouri, but there isn't a change at all across the state line into Arkansas. Eastern Arkansas is about as deep south as it gets.
But the areas near the border of the south are just different. I grew up in Northern Indiana, and there are plenty of rural areas there, but I have never, ever heard a southern twang in the northern part of the state.
The Bootheel area of S. MO is one example of an area that's somewhat anomalous. I don't see how you could compare it to Deep South, but I also don't see how you could compare it to rural Washington State either. Or rural Minnesota, Michigan, etc. Same goes for a lot of the areas on the cusp. There are lots of historical, linguistic, and cultural aspects of this area that sets it apart from rural parts of the northern Midwest.
I wasn't directing my post towards you. Just addressing an inaccurate and tired old stereotype that still gets kicked around quite a bit. Especially in these forums. The South, regardless of accents or culture, really isn't any more or less rural, or "country" than any other region anymore... except possibly the Northeast. And even that's a stretch anymore.
I really don't know if there's any distinct 'boundary' that separates the South from the rest of the nation anymore. I think certain "Southernisms" bleed over into other regions, and vice-versa. I know that when I was in Southern Ohio there were many areas that felt very Southern to me, and there were areas of Northern Kentucky that felt very Midwestern. It's just too blurry to draw a line of demarcation.
I don't see how you could separate the bootheel from the deep south myself. Cotton and rice farming and a high black population in the rural areas, with the dialect, foods and cultural traditions to boot. Yeah technically it is in Missouri, but there isn't a change at all across the state line into Arkansas. Eastern Arkansas is about as deep south as it gets.
I get what you're saying and you make some valid points. I guess I was thinking more about the Ozark highland areas with my previous point than the Bootheel. But regardless, it's still hard for me to wrap my head around the idea that area of a state normally considered "Midwestern" could be considered part of the "Deep South". But it does check a lot of boxes doesn't it? I think Missouri is a strange state in many respects.
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