Maryland a southern state (Frederick, Cumberland: school districts, subdivision, horse)

[andrew_s]

Yeah I cannot comment on the pan-handle much, but I always assumed yall were closer in nature to WV then PA as that part of the state is identical to WV in my eyes. But then again I know very little of that part of the state. I guess I shouldnt generalize MD so much as Im used to family thats near VA in the west and south and not PA.

[westsideboy]

Western Maryland, SW PA, and Northern WV all share alot in common. I would throw in Appalachian Ohio in this group as well.

[andrew_s]

The problem with Appalachia is you cant categorize the region. Due to seclusion there are so many diversities throughout the chain. But I can imagine the urban centers along it are pretty similar.

[Mickey666]

Maryland can be describe as a state that has both Northern culture and Southern culture. Just like the lower midwestern states ( Ohio, Inidana,missouri and Kansas) these is how Maryland is.

There was a book written about United States, in which the british royal family hire a private investigator to do some reasearch about the culture of united states, what he found is Maryland has two culture one Northern and Southern. Eastern Shore Maryland Southern Maryland has been known to have Southern Culture, because the people that settled in the area are from Cavalier servant.

Also, the Mason-Dixon line does not reperesent the division between North and South. I have two reason Northern Maryland Western Maryland did not get involve in slavery and it was settled from people from delaware valley. The real south on Eastern part of United States Started om Potomac river line through the ohio river. For western United States it started in below or at 37 line latitude. You also check many colonial books about maryland

[nuttygirl]

I find it a little amusing that some have assumed that those classifying MD as neither north nor south are transplants. Now granted I was not born there but I lived there for several years and my mom actually lived there for most of her life. Her family is from the area and also Delaware and southern Pennsylvania. I lived in an area near dc that is full of transplants as you are describing but also lived in a small town outside of Frederick comprised of many families that lived in MD forever. And my mom grew up in a town outside of Annapolis. I think I have a good view of different areas and different attitudes in MD. I also have done some reading from various books and articles concerning the subject in my research. Some historians agree with my premise that MD was always a neither north nor south state but actually had regions that favored one of the other in culture and sympathies and other historians have different ideas. This kind of history is not exact and to state definitively one way or another is impossible. You can't claim to know what most native marylanders thought or think today because not everyone or even most told anyone or kept records.

Also perhaps some of Baltimore was southern in sympathy but in my research I found that historians seemed to think that at least the business owners had more ties to the north because of shipping and other industry.

Again just my opinion as all this type of historical discussion ultimately comes down too: well informed opinions. I can't say anyone else is 100% wrong because I am not all-knowing LOL.

[andrew_s]

The mason dixon line does sperate the north and south. Culture wise the like does show huge differences on either side.

Some historical facts:

-In colonial times maryland was the northern most old south colony/state. We grew many things as a plantation state from cotton to tobacco.

-The maryland constitution didnt make slavery illegal until 1865. We were also a slave state up until the nothern armies locked the state down and arrested southern sympathizers as the state WOULD have seceded.

-Baltimore was a port city so of course there were people loyal to the north. every state but SC had northern sympathizers. But also what everyone ALWAYS forgets is that Baltimore is the site of the first real blood shed in the war of northern aggression.

-The the governor also ordered bridges be burned so union troops could not reinforce the current states occupied forces.

-The reason the state gave more troops to the north then south is due to the marshal law in the state mixed with any southern sympathizer being jailed without trial.

The reason we are not considered southern is that we are a border state. We contain both northern and southern cultures just like Kentucky, West Virginia and Missouri. I cannot comment on Missouri as I havent traveled there much, but I can say that West Virginia Kentucky and Maryland are all VERY similar.

But yeah we contain many cultures. Alot of it due to transplants but also due to straddling both the north and south.

[Diff1]

If Maryland isnt southern then neither is Virginia because they both have areas that are steryotype like southern (Va may have more) and they both have areas that dont have souther culture per say. And they practicly share all the same characteristics

[KodeBlue]

Originally Posted by Diff1

If Maryland isnt southern then neither is Virginia because they both have areas that are steryotype like southern (Va may have more) and they both have areas that dont have souther culture per say. And they practicly share all the same characteristics

If MD is southern, then so is southern PA.

[andrew_s]

Originally Posted by KodeBlue

If MD is southern, then so is southern PA.

No. Historically and culturally PA is different. Of the northeastern states its one of the better culture wise, but is not southern in any way shape or form. Country? Very much yes. But every time I head up north to ski its like heading to a different country one I cross that line.

[westsideboy]

I have lived in Carroll, Baltimore, Frederick, and Allegany Counties. All on the Mason-Dixon line. Other than the road quality and spread out settlement pattern of the PA Mason-Dixon Counties, I don't see much immediate difference when I cross the border. The dialect is the same, the geography is the same, the land use is mostly the same (although PA, in general, has more small hamlets and less sprawl.)

The big dividing line for me is the "Fall Line" that separates the Piedmont from the Coastal Plain in Maryland. Even today, with sprawl overtaking this central part of the state, I notice marked differences once you cross this barrier. The Piedmont is rolling terrain, Midland dilalects, farms and subdivisions, broad leaf forest. The Coastal Plain is flat, sandy, full of pine trees, and the home of the Southern speaking native Marylanders. Long story short, the Piedmont feels more to me like PA, the Coastal Plain seems much more "Southern."