Is Virginia a Northern or Southern state? (Richmond, Cleveland: colleges, safety)

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Originally Posted by cpterp

Virginia is definitely a Southern state and has never been considered "Northern." Occasionally it is grouped with the Mid-Atlantic because of its association with the DC and Maryland in the DC Metro Area, but its still solidly in the South. I will say the DC suburbs of Northern Virginia, north of Fredericksburg, has a decidedly more Northern culture (especially Arlington, which I wouldn't consider Southern at all).

A visit to Virginia would show you how overtly Southern it is. Richmond is the quintessential Southern city with its Confederate monuments, tobacco industry, and Museum of the Confederacy. Leading up to the Civil War Virginia had more slaves than any other states except NC. During the war Virginia hosted the Confederate capital, was the homestate of many Confederate "heroes," and contributed more to the cause than any other state. In contrast to DC across the Potomac with its Union monuments, Virginia has a plethora of schools, roads, etc named after Confederate figures. Recently there was a national uproar when the VA governor declared March Confederate History Month.

As far as Maryland (and DC and DE) is concerned, it is a significantly more Northern state than it is Southern. Baltimore especially, is clearly Northern for many, many reasons. DC is also Northern, but its unique aspects outnumber those shared with the Northeast, or any other region for the matter. Its almost like an East Coast version of San Fran, with which it shares its extremely liberal politics and high median income. The lower DelMarVa peninsula away from the beach towns does have a signifant Southern cultural influence though. In my opinion Maryland/DC/Delaware is best described as Mid-Atlantic, but much closer to the Northern end of the spectrum.

At the end of the day Maryland is still a Southern State........

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Originally Posted by stlouisan

Excellent post...supported with factual, tangible evidence...in this thread, reading this is like coming home to a house covered with the scent of febreze after a day in a landfill

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Originally Posted by stlouisan

The US Government does it because of the Mason-Dixon line more than anything else. Even many of it's own statistics contradict this classification. And you believe I read a couple of paragraphs on wikipedia and come to a conclusion? And I've been to Maryland and all over Virginia. i'm sorry to disappoint you, but my opinions were formed over years, not seconds, and from personal experience. I have friends that live in Wytheville that go to Richmond all the time, and relatives in D.C. I'm not the simpleton you think I am. And I rarely hear government officials openly professing how southern Maryland is..in fact, I almost never hear it.

Just because you took I-95 to NY and passed through Maryland does not make you an expert in dictating against the Fact that Maryland is a Southern State......

And Everyone knows that Virginia is a Southern State.......

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Originally Posted by CookieSkoon

Amen to that.

Same here, all of my opinions are based on experience as well.

I never say anything about I state I haven't either been to, or known people from.

Key word is opinion and the opinions against Maryland being a Southern state will not ever take away the Fact that Maryland is a Southern State......

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Originally Posted by stlouisan

Most of this stuff is pre-Civil War...and the state song doesn't really jive with Maryland from a modern standpoint.

You can tell a Northern state from a modern standpoint by the fact that Maryland isn't Bible Belt, doesn't speak the southern dialect, politically is very liberal, is majority Roman Catholic, and has always been, (and don't throw Louisiana, Texas, and Florida into the mix...Louisiana would likely not be majority Catholic if not for the heavy French and Cajun influences, Texas wouldn't be if it didn't have such a large hispanic population, and Florida wouldn't be if it were such a large tourist attraction and harboring many Latin Americans). Tobacco production has declined significantly in Maryland...the only place warm enough to support it is along the western shore of the chesapeake bay.

The rest of its crops are not typical of the south...things like sweet corn, peas, squash, watermelons, etc. All things you'd expect to see grown further north.

It also benefited during the Great Migration and was a center for heavy manufacturing.

Not to mention the fact that it never seceded and sent more troops to the Union than to the Confederacy...ten years ago I couldn't find sweet tea in most Maryland restaurants.

As far as a true Northern state goes, I've agreed that Maryland was more southern prior to the Civil War. Why you are trying to classify it as southern afterwards is ridiculous...the vast majority of its southern influences are echoes from before the Civil War. It is not a southern state today...nobody would visit there today and come out with that conclusion if they looked at it from a modern standpoint because virtually nothing is there to support it.

Just Wow.......

At the end of the day Maryland is still a Southern State........

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Originally Posted by stlouisan

Something else to note is that Maryland has lots of Union memorials as well..this is something that true southern states don't have in nearly as many numbers.

Oh my my my, where in the state of Maryland do they have Union Memorials??????

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Originally Posted by stlouisan

Something else to note is that Bible Belt alone is not southern, but combined with the other characteristics I mentioned, it will make a state southern. The point is Maryland not only is not Bible Belt, but is missing many important components to be considered part of the New South.

Such as??????????

[stlouisan]

Originally Posted by Diff1

Like is said in my post earlier name a Northern state that has ALL not one or two but ALL of these characteristics. I know slavery was in the North just as well as the South but it is fair to say that Maryland's economy depended a great deal on its slaves unlike Northern States.

Name me a southern state that is as severely lacking in typical cultural, linguistical, and demographical characteristics to the degree Maryland is, besides Florida.

Florida is really not a good comparison because first off...the northern part of the state is still solidly the Deep South, and less than half-a-century ago much more of it was, including Orlando. Florida is really a unique case because its culture was drastically altered by northern migrants from way outside of florida's region looking to retire, thousands of miles away...it also experienced a massive Latin American immigration. Had Disney World not been planted, I believe a much greater chunk of Florida would still culturally be a part of the Deep South.

I don't understand you...you try to minimize richmond's southerness will maximizing Maryland's.

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Originally Posted by whoknew?

Maryland Trying To Secede From The South

FAIL!

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Originally Posted by stlouisan

Name me a southern state that is as severely lacking in typical cultural, linguistical, and demographical characteristics to the degree Maryland is, besides Florida.

You just answered your own question.......

Originally Posted by stlouisan

Florida is really not a good comparison because first off...the northern part of the state is still solidly the Deep South, and less than half-a-century ago much more of it was, including Orlando. Florida is really a unique case because its culture was drastically altered by northern migrants from way outside of florida's region looking to retire, thousands of miles away...it also experienced a massive Latin American immigration. Had Disney World not been planted, I believe a much greater chunk of Florida would still culturally be a part of the Deep South.

If you are serious about the above commentary then your judging Maryland based on DC and Baltimore which most of Maryland is not associated with...

Originally Posted by stlouisan

I don't understand you...you try to minimize richmond's southerness will maximizing Maryland's.

Negative.......

Everyone knows that Richmond is a Southern City however there are some deep rooted Maryland hating characters that are bitter against the Civil War that they will forever deny Maryland being a Southern State no matter the Facts that are presented to prove that Maryland is a Southern State.......