Differences between the southern states

[slowlane3]

SC allows the sale of fireworks, which neighboring states forbid. (unless this has changed).

FL has sandy soil, while other southern states have red clay soil.

TN, WV, VA, (and possibly NC ?) have skiing resorts, in mountainous areas with heavy snow. Other southern states do not.

TN allows no gambling in any form.

[Tezcatlipoca]

Originally Posted by hobbesdj

Marylanders speak with midland accents similar to Pennsylvanian and Ohio[/url], and south Jersey. this accent is not present in the South.

I would like to point out, however, that the Midland dialect is a relatively recent import to most of the state. This is similar to what is happening in the Raleigh-Durham area today, where the dialect is quickly becoming midland in a process known as dialect swamping. The Baltimore Dialect is a Mid-Atlantic (Not Midland) dialect with heavy influence from Southern dialects. The DC accent and most of MD's old accent was much like present-day Richmond and Tidewater VA before the dialect swamping occurred.

This came hand-in-hand with a phenomenon we might call "culture swamping". MD's modern culture and politics are largely defined by a relatively recent influx from other states that completely overwhelmed the culture that was there in many areas. This process is beginning to happen to NC and VA, but they're much bigger states.
Edit: A new finding, apparently the most recent groups coming into MD are primarily from the South. Not sure which states. I wonder if it will have lasting cultural effect.

Just stating facts about my home state's cultural/linguistic history, since i'm a linguist.
Please, nobody even try to start up that damnable MD North/South discussion again.
Feels dangerous even talking about MD's culture because someone eventually will have a conniption.

[hobbesdj]

Originally Posted by Tezcatlipoca

I would like to point out, however, that the Midland dialect is a relatively recent import to most of the state. This is similar to what is happening in the Raleigh-Durham area today, where the dialect is quickly becoming midland in a process known as dialect swamping. The Baltimore Dialect is a Mid-Atlantic (Not Midland) dialect with heavy influence from Southern dialects. The DC accent and most of MD's old accent was much like present-day Richmond and Tidewater VA before the dialect swamping occurred.

This came hand-in-hand with a phenomenon we might call "culture swamping". MD's modern culture and politics are largely defined by a relatively recent influx from other states that completely overwhelmed the culture that was there in many areas. This process is beginning to happen to NC and VA, but they're much bigger states.
Edit: A new finding, apparently the most recent groups coming into MD are primarily from the South. Not sure which states. I wonder if it will have lasting cultural effect.

Just stating facts about my home state's cultural/linguistic history, since i'm a linguist.
Please, nobody even try to start up that damnable MD North/South discussion again.
Feels dangerous even talking about MD's culture because someone eventually will have a conniption.

Do you have any evidence to back this up?

I ask because Baltimore City, Baltimore County and much of northeast MD fall into the same category as Philadelphia and southern Jersey, despite not being the destination for northern transplants. Northerners move central MD: Montgomery and Howard counties and the DC suburbs, and still statistically more southerners move to MD.

[creeksitter]

TN has a state lottery and limited gambling for charity (i.e. rubber duck races).

TN does allow fireworks sales on a county by county basis. I know it doesn't border SC, but still....

Also, in my opinion, the difference between states is dwarfed by the difference between areas within any state. Both between rural and urban areas and between regions within states.

[Tezcatlipoca]

Originally Posted by hobbesdj

Do you have any evidence to back this up?

I ask because Baltimore City, Baltimore County and much of northeast MD fall into the same category as Philadelphia and southern Jersey, despite not being the destination for northern transplants. Northerners move central MD: Montgomery and Howard counties and the DC suburbs, and still statistically more southerners move to MD.

I think you may be under the impression i'm disagreeing with you more than I actually am. Baltimore City and Baltimore County, as I mentioned, are in the Mid-Atlantic dialect region. This is their native dialect. Baltimore has significant southern influence in its dialect (it was the destination of many southern transplants). But i'm agreeing with you here: Baltimore and NE MD have Mid-Atlantic dialects, and have had them since the earliest dialect studies were conducted.

The dialect swamping occurred in Central MD and the Eastern Shore, not the whole state. It also started well over 20 years ago. By 1995 or so central MD was solidly Midland and Mid-Atlantic.

My source is a print source and I'm afraid I have no interest in tracking those books down and citing them. You'll have to make your own judgement as to whether or not i'm making all this up. I believe UPenn published the books, so they might be a good place to start if you're curious. Aschmann, whose map you used, does his work as a hobby - he's actually a Native American linguist. I disagree with him on some points (like his placing Western MD in the southern region, not making Mid-Atlantic expansive enough in MD) but that map is generally reliable.

[RazorbacksWPS]

Mississippi: preserved Antebellum plantations; pride in southern heritage/roots; strong tradition of young gentlemen and belles being involved in cotillion while growing up; and selecting schools where parents attended such as Ole Miss or Mississippi State.

State population are overwhelming born and raised in the state. It's one of the most socially and fiscally conservative along with Oklahoma, Alabama, Tennessee, and South Carolina.