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Kentucky > Oklahoma > West Virginia in Southerness
The study by Knotts and Cooper, Rethinking the Boundaries of the South (Southern Studies, 2010), actually place Kentucky in the mid-range of "southern-ness", the third tier consists of Virginia, West Virginia and Oklahoma.
Maryland and Delaware we're never even confederate they we're union states, southern or not.
That was kind of the premise of OP's question, wasn't it? OP chose Kentucky, Oklahoma and W. Virginia precisely because those states were NOT part of the Confederacy.
I predict these three states (KY, OK & WV) will retain more Southern character and culture, overall, than states that are further south and more traditionally "Southern" (e.g., GA, NC & TX) because they're not necessarily magnets for transplants and/or immigrants, although OK in particular has been improving in that department.
I predict these three states (KY, OK & WV) will retain more Southern character and culture, overall, than states that are further south and more traditionally "Southern" (e.g., GA, NC & TX) because they're not necessarily magnets for transplants and/or immigrants, although OK in particular has been improving in that department.
Just my $0.02.
Good thinking. Transplantation plays a huge role. Just look at most of Virginia, the Raleigh/Durham area, and Atlanta (not to mention a lot of Florida below the panhandle).
The states which have the least transplants will have the least diluted Southern culture.
Location: Appalachian New York, Formerly Louisiana
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I honestly think, from experience there as well as conversation, West Virginia is an almost 50/50 combination of both northern and southern culture with a hefty dose of uniqueness. You can find places there that feel as though they belong in the south and others that seem as though you are in the northeast.
Kentucky is similar but not identical. A lot of Midwestern influence resides through-out Kentucky and yet its southern identity prevails dominantly by comparison. I consider Kentucky a southern state but like any state along the border it has a little of both worlds inside.
Oklahoma has that frontier vibe like Texas but also has the proper-Dixieland feeling to the east, much like Texas. These two states are what I like to call the "frontier south". Whereas New Mexico on are south-western; a unique region of its own.
Oklahoma was settled primarily by Tennesseans, Arkansans, Carolinians, etc. The result being a distinct southern flavor especially in its eastern region.
Oklahoma and Kentucky are equally southern in my eyes. Both states embody the border areas of the south with Midwestern highlights here and there.
West Virginia has more of a internal identity as it not only sits at a cultural and geographical cross-roads but also has a culture all its own that only a few minor areas of its neighbors share. It has as many ties to the north as it does the south and if one had to pigeon-hole it into either it could be done. I prefer to think of it as being both and neither simultaneously.
I honestly think, from experience there as well as conversation, West Virginia is an almost 50/50 combination of both northern and southern culture with a hefty dose of uniqueness. You can find places there that feel as though they belong in the south and others that seem as though you are in the northeast.
Kentucky is similar but not identical. A lot of Midwestern influence resides through-out Kentucky and yet its southern identity prevails dominantly by comparison. I consider Kentucky a southern state but like any state along the border it has a little of both worlds inside.
Oklahoma has that frontier vibe like Texas but also has the proper-Dixieland feeling to the east, much like Texas. These two states are what I like to call the "frontier south". Whereas New Mexico on are south-western; a unique region of its own.
Oklahoma was settled primarily by Tennesseans, Arkansans, Carolinians, etc. The result being a distinct southern flavor especially in its eastern region.
Oklahoma and Kentucky are equally southern in my eyes. Both states embody the border areas of the south with Midwestern highlights here and there.
West Virginia has more of a internal identity as it not only sits at a cultural and geographical cross-roads but also has a culture all its own that only a few minor areas of its neighbors share. It has as many ties to the north as it does the south and if one had to pigeon-hole it into either it could be done. I prefer to think of it as being both and neither simultaneously.
Good insights, CookieSkoon.
I always find your posts balanced and educational.
Location: Appalachian New York, Formerly Louisiana
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bass&Catfish2008
Good insights, CookieSkoon.
I always find your posts balanced and educational.
Thanks! I try.
I spend perhaps too much free time thinking about this stuff. Maybe it was all that Age of Empires or Civilization I've played but the world's history, cultures and geography fascinate me.
Oklahoma, Kentucky, and West Virginia are commonly associated with Southern culture but were not part of the Confederacy. I didn't include Missouri in this poll because above I-44 it is decidedly Midwestern and that is where most of the state's population resides. So which one of these non-Confederate states do you think is the most Southern?
Some where down the PC road, you may have to edit the title of your thread and remove that offensive word
"Confederacy"
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