Do people in Maryland consider themselves North, Southern, or in Between? (Baltimore: home, construction)

[Aalbatr0ss]

Originally Posted by Terrapin2212

They actuallly say that LA is very "uncultured" and "bland" and "unsophisticated". Now can you imagine how those people would view the South or the Midwest?

Just so you know, people from San Francisco also view LA as bland, uncultured and unsophisticated. I know LA has culture, but it is easy to miss if you aren't looking in the right place. (PS, I'm from the south, and I can assure you yankees aren't the only folks capable of looking down on the rest of the country)

[Drew55]

I grew up on a tabacco farm in Southern MD, have a southern accent, and consider myself to be Southern. It seems there are a few factors that will cause a person to identify the way they do.
1 - from what part of MD are they?
- Many of us that consider ourselves Southern are of Southern MD or South of Annapolis. B/c this was a divided state it still is a divided state.

2 - how deep are their roots in MD?
- Many of the people I know that consider themselves Southern have family roots dating back before the 1900's.

[Billiam]

^

My family's been here since the early 1800s and consider themselfs northern

[vivo]

Originally Posted by Billiam

^

My family's been here since the early 1800s and consider themselfs northern

what's their ethnic/cultural background? ie german, quaker, ex confederate virginian and where in MD did they live during the years (your family past and present)

[jonjj]

For the most part, Maryland has more in common with Pennsylvania and the northeast corridor than it does with the south. However, there are parts of it on the eastern shore that seem very southern to me.

[Billiam]

Originally Posted by vivo

what's their ethnic/cultural background? ie german, quaker, ex confederate virginian and where in MD did they live during the years (your family past and present)

German, Irish, Scottish, English, and Whelsh (and proud )
they've always lived in the western most counties

[foxclone78]

I am born and raised in Maryland for 29 years, i served my 4 years in the Marines and one thing that i have always identified my self with is the north. Also many people in the military consider people from Maryland northerners aswell. But being a very diverse state it could differ where you are at ie: Eastern Shore etc. Consider this fact that most "Northerners" (to me thats states North of Maryland Geographically) would not know, Western Maryland averages more annual snowfall then pretty much all states that are North of Maryland, except for the Lake shore areas of New York and the highlands of New Hampshire and Vermont, and Main. Also West Virginia "The Mountain State" receives even more snowfall than Western Maryland, and they are really considered Southern out there. These days its more a state of mind thing. If you are from Maryland you typically do not listen to Crunk, or whatever the "Southern Rap Versions" are called we have club music here which is distinct to the region of the Baltimore Area. If you are from Bmore, you would consider your self a Northerner. Plus what is the Mason Dixon Line anyway, its a fake line once used for surveying purposes, Remember Maryland protected DC during the civil war.

[DannyM]

The separation between North and South was the Mason-Dixon line which is the line between Pennsylvania and Maryland. Maryland was therefore technically a Southern state, but of course DC is and was the Northern capital, so a lot of Marylanders in that area were died-in-the-wool Yankees.

Maryland split on the North-South question, some fighting for the North and some fighting for the South. It was truly neighbor against neighbor, brother against brother, father against son... and reading this thread, it looks like the anger is still there...

Me, personally? When I was about 10 or 11 years old, I remember my uncle and I standing on top of the mountian and he pointed to the north and ask me, Do you know what that is up there?

I told him, No, I didn't, and he explained, "That's another country up there. They call it the U-nited States of America, (and of course everyone knows we live in the CONFEDERATE STATES of America.)"

He told me he wanted to warn me about something... He said, "As you grow up, you will meet people from there and probably even have to work with them... but one thing to remember... --NEVER TRUST THEM!!"

My uncle was born after the end of the Civil War, but I still think that was the best advice I ever had. ---grin.

[BPP1999]

I think whether or not people consider themselves northern or southern also depends on how they want others to perceive them. Some people find the stereotype "southern" to be an insult (slow moving, less educated, more rural) and many college-educated people in MD may not want to be associated with such a description. It seems that so many people anymore think and want others to think that they live in a fast-moving area where the average person is mean. These are northern stereotypes. Not as many people want to say "I live in slow-moving, more southern area".

[vivo]

Originally Posted by DannyM

The separation between North and South was the Mason-Dixon line which is the line between Pennsylvania and Maryland. Maryland was therefore technically a Southern state, but of course DC is and was the Northern capital, so a lot of Marylanders in that area were died-in-the-wool Yankees.

Maryland split on the North-South question, some fighting for the North and some fighting for the South. It was truly neighbor against neighbor, brother against brother, father against son... and reading this thread, it looks like the anger is still there...

Me, personally? When I was about 10 or 11 years old, I remember my uncle and I standing on top of the mountian and he pointed to the north and ask me, Do you know what that is up there?

I told him, No, I didn't, and he explained, "That's another country up there. They call it the U-nited States of America, (and of course everyone knows we live in the CONFEDERATE STATES of America.)"

He told me he wanted to warn me about something... He said, "As you grow up, you will meet people from there and probably even have to work with them... but one thing to remember... --NEVER TRUST THEM!!"

My uncle was born after the end of the Civil War, but I still think that was the best advice I ever had. ---grin.

were youse (Baltimore dialect not sure if I used it correctly, I personally say you guys) from western md?