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Missouri is considered by most to be a Midwestern state. The southern part where I live is a place where some southern mixes in, but is predominantly Midwestern in feel, self-perception, and culture. However, if you go to the southwest or southeast of Springfield toward Ava, West Plains, etc., or toward Branson, it becomes noticeably southern in outlook and feel.
The Missouri bootheel is pretty much "southern" in flavor tucked there inbetween Tennessee and Arkansas.
I've always considered the North to be New England, New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey.
I've always considered the South to be Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, West Virginia, the Carolinas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas and Louisiana...along with the south Texas coast.
I've always considered the Midwest to be Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, and Missouri.
I've always considered the Plains states to be the Dakotas, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, and north Texas.
The West I've always considered any state west of the identified Plains states.
Whether these are the same as other people see them, I don't know, but that's always been my perception.
here's what i think, for the entire eastern half of the country...
new england: connecticut, rhode island, massachusetts, vermont, new hampshire, maine mid atlantic: new york, new jersey, pennsylvania, maryland, delaware upper south: virginia, north carolina, tennessee, kentucky southeast: georgia, florida, south carolina deep south: mississippi, alabama, louisiana, arkansas midwest: ohio, indiana, illinois, michigan, wisconsin, minnesota, iowa, missouri great plains: north dakota, south dakota, kansas, nebraska, oklahoma
texas is just an entire region in itself, and i've seen west virginia classified as midwest, south & mid-atlantic... it's like the bjork of the united states, nowhere it really fits in. and also, some of these are dependent on parts of the state. the southern areas of ohio & indiana (even illinois & missouri too, like mentioned above) are seemingly more southern in culture then midwestern, which is honestly pretty strange to me. how can anyone in a state that borders the great lakes think of themselves as living in the south?
i'm used to this debate though, as i'm originally from one of the very few "southern" towns left in central florida.
Missouri I put in as a border state because although its midwestern geographically, it probably has the stongest southern feel to it. Kansas does too
Missouri also claimed a lot in the Confederacy, even though it offically went with the union, and southern MO borders on Arkansas and TN so thats definitely more southern, than midwestern.
Virginia is a state that confuses people. Its like the Old South in many areas, but because its the furthest north of the southern states, some people include in the Mid-Atlantic region, or even Northeast (both of which are inccorrect)
I always consider Virginia "Upper South" along with Kentucky. I put Maryland and West Virginia as border states- because that part of West VA that goes north of the Mason-Dixon line, and Maryland is a mix of northern and southern culture.
here's what i think, for the entire eastern half of the country...
new england: connecticut, rhode island, massachusetts, vermont, new hampshire, maine mid atlantic: new york, new jersey, pennsylvania, maryland, delaware upper south: virginia, north carolina, tennessee, kentucky southeast: georgia, florida, south carolina deep south: mississippi, alabama, louisiana, arkansas midwest: ohio, indiana, illinois, michigan, wisconsin, minnesota, iowa, missouri great plains: north dakota, south dakota, kansas, nebraska, oklahoma
texas is just an entire region in itself, and i've seen west virginia classified as midwest, south & mid-atlantic... it's like the bjork of the united states, nowhere it really fits in. and also, some of these are dependent on parts of the state. the southern areas of ohio & indiana (even illinois & missouri too, like mentioned above) are seemingly more southern in culture then midwestern, which is honestly pretty strange to me. how can anyone in a state that borders the great lakes think of themselves as living in the south?
i'm used to this debate though, as i'm originally from one of the very few "southern" towns left in central florida.
Thats because most of the southern tips of the midwestern states are below the mason dixon line.
Take Illinois , for example. The southern tip of Illinois is less than an hour from Nashville, TN!
They are hours away from Chicago. Hmmm... maybe some states should be split in half.
I think the parts of the midwest that are southern in culture are called "little dixies".
They seem to be more working class southern, though, as opposed to southern blueblood i.e. charleston, richmond, savannah.
I always thought the regions of the U.S. were grouped by location, not by how alike and how different they are??? If a state is in the Northeast then it's in the Northeast, no matter how much it might seem a little midwestern. I mean, Florida is about as south as there is, so it seems strange not to include because of it's retiree popluation. Am I off base or is this regional question already decided by where the states are positioned?
If I can get Sweattea at the drive-thru at McDonals'd then I feel like I'm in the South. Here in New England, we have Iced Coffee at Micky D's. So I guess you have the Mason-Dixon Line, and the Sweattea line sepearting us
I always thought the regions of the U.S. were grouped by location, not by how alike and how different they are??? If a state is in the Northeast then it's in the Northeast, no matter how much it might seem a little midwestern. I mean, Florida is about as south as there is, so it seems strange not to include because of it's retiree popluation. Am I off base or is this regional question already decided by where the states are positioned?
Because, a lot of people cant agree on certain states which border the north and south.
Like Virginia for example cutlurally, historically and climate wise is a southern state but because of its closer proximity to the northeast, its some times called Mid-Atlantic.
Virginia has been called Mid-Altantic, Southeastern, South Atlantic, and God forbid....
.. Northeastern. Which is really crazy, but some people do.
Im sorry, but anywhere south of Orlando, FL is not Southern. It may be in the South, but its not the South in my book.
The Mason Dixon line used to be the way people did this. But I guess because of air travel, Maryland and West Virginia are now at New York's door step.
For me the Northern States are:
PA, NJ, NY, CT, RI, MA, MASS, VT, NH, and the upper Midwest.
The border states are:
MD, WEST VA, DE, MO
The UPPER SOUTH:
VA, KY, TN, NC
THE DEEP SOUTH
GA, SC, AL, MISS, LA, AK, AND NORTHERN FLORIDA
And then there's the rest of the country.....
The Mason Dixon Line starts at the coast along side of Maryland and goes up the Maryland border to Pensylvania and then across the bottom of Pensylvania to the South West corner. It stops there. It pertained to all of the states we had at that time. So with that in mind, I'd say that West Virginia, Virginia and Marlyland south is Southern. Pensylvania and Delaware North is Northern. Any state after that time has nothing to do with the land dispute that caused Mr. Mason and Mr. Dixon to survey it to resolve the issue.
People also say that Atlanta is not southern, I gather for similar reasons to Florida not being southern. Why are some areas like these referred to this way? Maybe the immigration of hispanics in Florida, or the non-southern people retiring in Florida? In Atlanta is it the same reasons? I think most cities or states become multicultural when a lot outsiders begin to move in, but I didn't think that would cause the area to lose its culture...it seems to me the areas have just added to the culture that was already there.
I still think that this question is easily answering by whichever geographical region each state is located in. It doesn't really matter if some people want Virginia to be northern or mid-atlantic. Unless they can pick it up and move it, Virginia is located in the southeastern U.S.
I do like the thought of the south being the SweetTea States. That's cute. Does that make the northeastern and new england states the BitterTea Region?
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