is Texas a southwestern or southern state? (Houston, Dallas: condo, home)

[Bily Lovec]

Originally Posted by tstone

..........More than anything, we should recognize that Texas is Texas. Catrinac, that would be the most accurate answer to your argument. There are plenty of online travel guides that have info about the midwest, south, southwest etc, but (rightly) put Texas, California and Florida into their own separate regions.

yep...exactly...

[case44]

I like to think it's both. If it's a "whole other country", then I think this great state incorporates both of those characteristics.

[basketcase33]

Texas is pretty much it's own different place, considering it's the meeting of 5 different cultural and geographically based regions. If it had to be categorized, I would say I generally consider the Eastern portion Southern (Dallas and Houston) and the Western portion Southwestern (Fort Worth--"Where the West begins," San Antonio, Austin and El Paso). Though the greater land area of Texas lies within the "Southwestern" region, the greater population lies within the "Southern" region of Texas, further clouding this debate.
In my experience, people from the Northeastern US consider Texas part of the West/Southwest, though by US Censu Bureau standards, it's the South.

[whitechocolate86]

Originally Posted by Canine*Castle

I'll trust what Wikipedia says............

Southern United States - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I don't even think one could say Maryland is a southern state...It fought with the union side...and so did missouri (Missouri is culturally more southern than maryland) Virginia culturally is kinda like florida...the south of virginia and north of florida are kinda old southern type, while the north of virginia and the south of florida are more cosmopolitan...Texas is its own state tried and true...it is quite diverse and unique and that is what makes it so special...yes, it is probably more southern than southwest, but let's not forget, many in Texas wanted to fight with the union...let's just say no other state compares with the good ole' lone star and forget the wikipedia jive

[blueskies49]

Originally Posted by whitechocolate86

but let's not forget, many in Texas wanted to fight with the union...let's just say no other state compares with the good ole' lone star and forget the wikipedia jive

That was true in the other Southern states as well but the majority ruled in all of them which is why Texas was a Confederate state that seceded with the rest of the South. As was noted a great many times already in the forum, large parts of Texas were settled by Southerners, hence the similar culture and accent.

[TexasReb]

Originally Posted by whitechocolate86

yes, it is probably more southern than southwest, but let's not forget, many in Texas wanted to fight with the union

Just to follow up a bit on what Miss BlueSkies noted, one has to remember there were two distinct waves of secession. Following Lincoln's election, the "fire-eating" cotton states of the Lower South (South Carolina thru Texas) all seceded and formed the Confederacy. On the other hand, the four states of the Upper South actually voted it down initially, but finally joined up when the war actually began and they had to choose sides.

Anyway, every Confederate state fielded had some men in Union service but the numbers in the Lower South (which included Texas) were very small in comparisson. Here is a table which illustrates this:

Percent of records indicating Union Service in the Southern/Border states

Alabama - 1.4 Arkansas - 10.1 Florida - 6.2 Georgia - .001 Kentucky - 63% Louisiana - 1.1 Maryland - 89% Mississippi - .005 Missouri - 64% North Carolina - 2.7 Oklahoma (Indian Territory) -- no records available, although a noteable majority of the "Five Civilized Tribes" allied with the Confederacy. South Carolina - .006 Tennessee -- 27% Texas - 2.7 Virginia (includes later day West Virginia) -- 17%

[straitblow]

Texas used to have a very southern vibe and feel to it. But yankees and californians moved in. And illegal mexican immigrants who don't give a damn about southern culture or ways, and actually are the polar opposite of southern. Some freeway doesn't have anything to do with it. Dallas, my hometown, used to be like Atlanta. Now, like los angeles. You can find like a jillion mexican, asian, worldy restaurants in it. Only 3 or 4 restaurants that could be considered southern. This didn't used to be. Outsiders have come in and pushed, FORCED, everything southern out of it. And they are beginning to do it in places like new orleans and even atlanta now.

[TexasHorseLady]

Parts of Texas had a southern vibe, but not all of it by any means, not since Texas was Texas. That was long before the Yankees and Californians arrived. (And, I, too, lived in Dallas, and Highland Park, but that was long, long ago in a galaxy far, far away - well, 40 years, anyway.)

[TexasReb]

LOL My feelings on this one are well known. And the reasons for them. To wit, Texas when it first joined the United States was naturally counted as part of the South, and today remains essentially a Southern state, with some parts obviously "more Southern" than others (and a few areas hardly if at all Southern...ala' trans-pecos region). And naturally today, as in certain other parts of the South (Florida, Virginia, part of North Carolina, Atlanta area, etc), outside migration (legal and illegal) has had an influence, especially in the larger cities in terms of diluting the "Southern vibe."

But I ain't gonna argue this topic again unless I have to. Most of us just finally agreed to disagree! And agree Texas is Texas!

[turkeytrot]

Texas has been it's own country and has had the Confederate flag flown over her. Then again it's been said Ft Worth, It's where the west begins.

Texas has it's own mystique that no other state has, nuff said.