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Some of the suburban areas of the Triad and Charlotte are actually super conservative, and definitely the towns just outside the two metros (i.e. Asheboro, Lexington, Salisbury). Even Wake County is probably more on the purple side. However, I'm sure it's a similar case in Virginia up around Roanoke, Lynchburg, and definitely Southwest Virginia closer to Bristol.
VA was one of the most populated and powerful states/colonies (like MA), while NC was one of the least populated and powerful. There were very few plantations in NC compared to VA, and very few cities compared to VA. The vast majority of NC was unpopulated.
Besides North Carolina not being that lightly populated at the time, your argument doesn't make sense. Rhode Island had and has much fewer people than Massachusetts, but it's obviously rather similar to Massachusetts. Texas and New York today are both states with large populations and influence, but no one would argue they have much similarity.
I would still say Virginia has always been more similar to North Carolina, definitely over Massachusetts or any of the New England states. However, it's true that both North Carolina and Virginia weren't as similar before the Civil War. Virginia was very wealthy, you can drive around the state today and visit the estates/plantations of Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, and Robert E. Lee. You can definitely tell people had money in Virginia, plenty of grand tobacco plantations along the James River. North Carolina didn't really have these wealthy aristocratic figures, you won't find a Monticello in the Piedmont region of North Carolina because it was mainly populated by poor yeoman farmers. Virginia had wealthy people of English descent, which did exist in Eastern NC but not so much in the Piedmont or Western NC. Those regions were mainly filled with Scots-Irish. North Carolina was nicknamed, "The Ireland of the South" because we were seen as so backwoods and poor. Richmond was a very large and prominent city for the longest time, while Raleigh was just a puny state capital. Only Wilmington and some pockets of Eastern NC had all the wealth and plantations. Virginia officers even looked down on North Carolinians during the Civil War, and NC Governor Zeb Vance didn't want Virginians commanding North Carolina troops. Again, we were seen as so backwoods and poor. However, both North Carolina and Virginia are quite similar today.
I would still say Virginia has always been more similar to North Carolina, definitely over Massachusetts or any of the New England states. However, it's true that both North Carolina and Virginia weren't as similar before the Civil War. Virginia was very wealthy, you can drive around the state today and visit the estates/plantations of Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, and Robert E. Lee. You can definitely tell people had money in Virginia, plenty of grand tobacco plantations along the James River. North Carolina didn't really have these wealthy aristocratic figures, you won't find a Monticello in the Piedmont region of North Carolina because it was mainly populated by poor yeoman farmers. Virginia had wealthy people of English descent, which did exist in Eastern NC but not so much in the Piedmont or Western NC. Those regions were mainly filled with Scots-Irish. North Carolina was nicknamed, "The Ireland of the South" because we were seen as so backwoods and poor. Richmond was a very large and prominent city for the longest time, while Raleigh was just a puny state capital. Only Wilmington and some pockets of Eastern NC had all the wealth and plantations. Virginia officers even looked down on North Carolinians during the Civil War, and NC Governor Zeb Vance didn't want Virginians commanding North Carolina troops. Again, we were seen as so backwoods and poor. However, both North Carolina and Virginia are quite similar today.
Historically, VA and SC were more similar and today, it's NC and VA.
Besides North Carolina not being that lightly populated at the time, your argument doesn't make sense. Rhode Island had and has much fewer people than Massachusetts, but it's obviously rather similar to Massachusetts. Texas and New York today are both states with large populations and influence, but no one would argue they have much similarity.
NC being lightly populated isn't the only argument here...but several have already been made so I don't see much point in going back over them. No one said that they were exactly alike, but only that they had more in common than VA did with NC HISTORICALLY. Feel free to click on any of the links below comparing MA and VA historically:
What was ever similar about Massachusetts and Virginia besides being commonwealths?
Virginia was the first English colony in the South and Massachusetts Bay/Plymouth Colony was the first English colony in the North. I am talking way back in the early 1600s. So they probably had a lot of influence on the way the South and North are today. I think this is especially true of Virginia.
Virginia was the first English colony in the South and Massachusetts Bay/Plymouth Colony was the first English colony in the North. I am talking way back in the early 1600s. So they probably had a lot of influence on the way the South and North are today. I think this is especially true of Virginia.
Good point. There are many similarities like the one you mention above.
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Good point. There are many similarities like the one you mention above.
