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Still, I wonder why it is important to break out southern states into two different regions. Why not just let each state stand on its own, 1 of 50 united states.
Because people like to put things in groups and then stick a label on that group.
Yours is the most accurate post about the Deep South. If you really wanted to stretch it, go as far North as Southeast Missouri and maaaaaaayyyyybe Western Kentucky in the Jackson Purchase region. Basically the Deep South would follow the regions of states with portions in the Coastal Plain. Not the whole states, but definitely the regions therein. Like is Greenville, SC a true Deep South city? I wouldn't't classify it as such and I doubt many others would. But Charleston? Epitome of Deep South. Plantation history, ties to the West Indies, native cabbage palms, near nonexistent snowfall, rural Blacks, Whites with accents that aren't far from that of the Black speech, hospitable and slow Southern feel, that is Deep South.
Likewise swampland is practically a staple of the Deep South. Even Western Kentucky has swamps! It's just that coastal plain feel really. It is about as couuuuntry as it gets.
Yours is the most accurate post about the Deep South. If you really wanted to stretch it, go as far North as Southeast Missouri and maaaaaaayyyyybe Western Kentucky in the Jackson Purchase region. Basically the Deep South would follow the regions of states with portions in the Coastal Plain. Not the whole states, but definitely the regions therein. Like is Greenville, SC a true Deep South city? I wouldn't't classify it as such and I doubt many others would. But Charleston? Epitome of Deep South. Plantation history, ties to the West Indies, native cabbage palms, near nonexistent snowfall, rural Blacks, Whites with accents that aren't far from that of the Black speech, hospitable and slow Southern feel, that is Deep South.
Likewise swampland is practically a staple of the Deep South. Even Western Kentucky has swamps! It's just that coastal plain feel really. It is about as couuuuntry as it gets.
I think MO and KY are too far north to truly be considered Deep South, although they may have areas that resemble the true Deep South, just as VA does in the rural Tidewater.
I think MO and KY are too far north to truly be considered Deep South, although they may have areas that resemble the true Deep South, just as VA does in the rural Tidewater.
I agree, Kentucky is probably best described as Upper South and Missouri is part of the Midwest.
However, it maybe that people are seeing the topic of Deep South (and other regional topics like Mid-Atlantic, Midwest and Appalachian) in 3 different ways:
1. A purely cultural area
2. A purely geographical area, usually with state lines as borders
3. A combination of the above two
I usually use the second and third options but it all comes down to opinion.
So for me anyway, Deep South is definitely South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Florida and maybe Tennessee, North Carolina and Arkansas.
I think MO and KY are too far north to truly be considered Deep South, although they may have areas that resemble the true Deep South, just as VA does in the rural Tidewater.
Culturally they are closer to the Deep South than the respective states they are in. But true they aren't really Deep South.
I agree, Kentucky is probably best described as Upper South and Missouri is part of the Midwest.
However, it maybe that people are seeing the topic of Deep South (and other regional topics like Mid-Atlantic, Midwest and Appalachian) in 3 different ways:
1. A purely cultural area
2. A purely geographical area, usually with state lines as borders
3. A combination of the above two
I usually use the second and third options but it all comes down to opinion.
The actual states of MO and KY are not Deep South but those respective regions are more Deep South than the rest of the state.
The actual states of MO and KY are not Deep South but those respective regions are more Deep South than the rest of the state.
Now saying it that way makes a lot more sense.
I was literally reading about the history of the Jackson Purchase area of Kentucky a couple of days ago (Polk's violation of Kentucky's neutrality). This is the part of extreme southwestern Kentucky that is between the Mississippi and the Tennessee Rivers.
Now I have never been there but from what I have read, what you say makes sense. The Wikipedia article even says that "Historically, this region has been considered the most "Southern" of Kentucky".
I was literally reading about the history of the Jackson Purchase area of Kentucky a couple of days ago (Polk's violation of Kentucky's neutrality). This is the part of extreme southwestern Kentucky that is between the Mississippi and the Tennessee Rivers.
Now I have never been there but from what I have read, what you say makes sense. The Wikipedia article even says that "Historically, this region has been considered the most "Southern" of Kentucky".
One of the interesting things about Southeast Missouri is how there is almost no Upland South area present along the Mississippi River. It basically goes from Lowland South to Lower Midwest over the course of about 30 miles. (I don't know of anywhere else where this happens) There is a part of that gap that is culturally southern & upland, but it is very limited. Oddly enough, that gap has Appalachian style forests that aren't present anywhere else in the state.
Quote:
Originally Posted by EddieOlSkool
The actual states of MO and KY are not Deep South but those respective regions are more Deep South than the rest of the state.
I agree with this 100%. Missouri is midwestern & Kentucky is upper south, but far SW Kentucky is much more like the delta than the rest of its state. Same for far Western TN (West of Jackson) The Missouri Bootheel has more in common with the Mississippi & Arkansas delta regions than the rest of Missouri.
Last edited by GunnerTHB; 08-30-2017 at 09:23 AM..
I was literally reading about the history of the Jackson Purchase area of Kentucky a couple of days ago (Polk's violation of Kentucky's neutrality). This is the part of extreme southwestern Kentucky that is between the Mississippi and the Tennessee Rivers.
Now I have never been there but from what I have read, what you say makes sense. The Wikipedia article even says that "Historically, this region has been considered the most "Southern" of Kentucky".
Kentucky as a state straddles about 3 cultural regions. Most of the state especially the Eastern region is Appalachian lite/Upper South. The northernmost counties are Midwest flavored around Cincinnati's metro (with light German undertones even). Then lastly the Jackson Purchase is the unequivocally Southern region both geographically and culturally. It is also the Blackest region as well. Not but much since KY is so White but percentage wise there are more Blacks there and there aren't really any big cities either.
The accents of the people there are super thick as well. When I lived in Louisville and I heard a thick Southern accent I always guessed Western Kentucky and I was always right. People think the strongest accents are in Eastern Kentucky but in my opinion that is just a stereotype based on proximity to West Virginia and poverty. Drawls in EKY are rather non existent. Drawls actually get stronger going West and not East. Eastward the speech actually levels out a bit and isn't super Southern at all.
Mississippi
Louisiana
Alabama
Georgia
South Carolina
and:
The Eastern Part of Texas (Everywhere East of Dallas and the Hill Country (really the Great Plains) and north of La Grange)
The Arkansas Delta (Crowley's Ridge, the Mississippi Embayment, and Mississippi Alluvial Plain)
West Tennessee (everywhere west of the Tennessee river and south of Parallel 36°30′)
The boot heel of Missouri (everywhere in the Mississippi Alluvial Plain or Crowley's Ridge in Missouri in the boot heel of land south of Parallel 36°30′)
and
The Florida Panhandle (all Florida Counties West of the Suwanee, and maybe excluding only the city of Tallahassee)
and maybe the Jackson purchase area of Kentucky, but that's still more Upper South than cotton belt, in my mind. Jackson Purchase area is the western tip of Kentucky between the Tennessee and Mississippi rivers.
-written by an eighth generation Mississippian.
Last edited by pinebud1111; 08-30-2017 at 10:27 AM..
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Jackson Purchase - Far western Kentucky
