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I guess in a sense... maybe atleast... I personally am not sure on that. Austin feels more South / South West in honesty... Texas just.. ..doesn't really feel deep south to me as it feels like its own version of southern. There is southern culture in Texas but it isn't the same kind you find in Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina.. ..its kind of a Hybrid culture..
Rural East Texas is the only part of the state that’s quintessentially southern IMO
That was an interest article. Long, but very informative.
It isn't saying what you are saying though.
Seems like the gist of the article isn't about Texas being its own thing but how difficult a challenge it is changing incorrect narratives of Texas History. Seems like the majority is dead set against giving up support for the confederacy in addition to support for the republic.
If anything it seems that Texans are proud to be associated with the confederacy but not the US. All that talk about Texas is Texas may not be about it distancing itself from the south but distancing itself from the north.
I think both Texans and non Texans take too much out of Texas's self promotion. A place doesn't make a name for itself by being a second rate version of somewhere else.
Texas, it's like a whole northern country is a great slogan.
Our founding fathers couldn't make it in Tennessee and North Carolina so they came here isn't such a great slogan.
Texas plays up its brief stint at being a republic, so what? It sell. What would you like it to play up? The article is a very long article. Most people would just glance over it, but if you haven't I would recommend you read all the way through. It's about a boy's attempt to change Texas celebrating Confederate Heroes day to a sort of remembrance of the Civil War as a whole and how the Texas legislature was fiercely against that. Seems to me it wasn't about Texas distance itself from the rest of the south but fiercely against recognizing that there were union supporters in Texas too.
The article does say that Texas plays up its cowboy Culture and downplays that the True King is cotton, but again that just marketing.
I honestly think it's both. "Texas is neither Southern nor Western. Texas is Texas" proudly tells you that Texas does not neatly fall into one region. Most of Texas is compatible but not identical to the South.
Do people in Austin actually consider themselves southerners?
Comparing it to Richmond where the southern history and connection runs deep is strange. Even if people don't like it, no one can deny Richmond is a southern city (barring those with an agenda themselves). The argument is always does the Richmond of today have more in common with areas to it's north or south, not whether its a southern city or not.
Austin seems like it was never considered a southern city at all by it's inhabitants.
It might be better to compare Austin with a true periphery city like Baltimore or Louisville or something.
Speaking for myself I've never at any point considered myself a "southerner", just a Texan. I accept that Texas is in "the south" as a matter of convention, but to me "southern" actually means southeastern, and Texas to the southeast is something like Ohio is to the northeast. There is a connection there for sure but it's limited.
That said, I would imagine that Austinites that grew up in the Jim Crow era might feel differently and consider themselves southerners without thinking twice.. I'm honestly not sure about that and I actually don't personally know any multi-generation Austinites to ask them.
I honestly think it's both. "Texas is neither Southern nor Western. Texas is Texas" proudly tells you that Texas does not neatly fall into one region. Most of Texas is compatible but not identical to the South.
I have said before the south is not monolithic. All of Texas is not even identical to itself, so it's not rational to expect it to be identical to all of the South.
I have also said before the divide is increasingly urban vs rural at this point. This what is the south and what isn't is getting more and more meaningless.
Pretty soon only the slower growing states will be considered the south.
I have said before the south is not monolithic. All of Texas is not even identical to itself, so it's not rational to expect it to be identical to all of the South.
I have also said before the divide is increasingly urban vs rural at this point. This what is the south and what isn't is getting more and more meaningless.
Pretty soon only the slower growing states will be considered the south.
There is a difference between being "considered the south" and having the traditional southern culture be the dominant culture. It's entirely on possible that large parts of the geographic south could no longer be predominantly "southern" in terms of culture. That would hardly be the first time that migration of humans caused a change in culture for a particular region.... We see that happen continuously throughout history.
That was an interest article. Long, but very informative.
It isn't saying what you are saying though.
Seems like the gist of the article isn't about Texas being its own thing but how difficult a challenge it is changing incorrect narratives of Texas History. Seems like the majority is dead set against giving up support for the confederacy in addition to support for the republic.
If anything it seems that Texans are proud to be associated with the confederacy but not the US. All that talk about Texas is Texas may not be about it distancing itself from the south but distancing itself from the north.
I think both Texans and non Texans take too much out of Texas's self promotion. A place doesn't make a name for itself by being a second rate version of somewhere else.
Texas, it's like a whole northern country is a great slogan.
Our founding fathers couldn't make it in Tennessee and North Carolina so they came here isn't such a great slogan.
Texas plays up its brief stint at being a republic, so what? It sell. What would you like it to play up? The article is a very long article. Most people would just glance over it, but if you haven't I would recommend you read all the way through. It's about a boy's attempt to change Texas celebrating Confederate Heroes day to a sort of remembrance of the Civil War as a whole and how the Texas legislature was fiercely against that. Seems to me it wasn't about Texas distance itself from the rest of the south but fiercely against recognizing that there were union supporters in Texas too.
The article does say that Texas plays up its cowboy Culture and downplays that the True King is cotton, but again that just marketing.
I think something we have to remember is that in the 19th century the state of Texas was extremely sparsely populated. The vast majority of the small population that did live there was in the eastern parts of the state living in a lifestyle and culture that was largely identical to the American south.
However, if we're talking about the state, geographically, I think the western image is probably quite accurate, as the vast majority of the state would have largely uninhabited wilderness. (Population by county, 1900)
I have said before the south is not monolithic. All of Texas is not even identical to itself, so it's not rational to expect it to be identical to all of the South.
I have also said before the divide is increasingly urban vs rural at this point. This what is the south and what isn't is getting more and more meaningless.
Pretty soon only the slower growing states will be considered the south.
Of course the South isn't monolithic and I for one would say most of Texas shows more Southern characteristics than non-Southern characteristics. But not all of Texas. Also, Texas history is just different and some of that have been discussed in this thread. All that Senator is saying is Texas as a whole can't fit into one region. Very little of El Paso will remind people of the South. Likewise, very little of Beaumont will remind people of the Southwest. That said, Amarillo likely has nothing in common with Brownsville other than that both are in Texas. Central Texas is like a mixture of all what it is to be Texan. Southern, Southwestern, Mexican, German, etc. and you see this in Austin and especially locales West of Austin.
I think something we have to remember is that in the 19th century the state of Texas was extremely sparsely populated. The vast majority of the small population that did live there was in the eastern parts of the state living in a lifestyle and culture that was largely identical to the American south.
However, if we're talking about the state, geographically, I think the western image is probably quite accurate, as the vast majority of the state would have largely uninhabited wilderness. (Population by county, 1900)
To be honest with you, while not as extreme anymore, it's still very noticeable. Outside of Lubbock, Amarillo, Abilene, Midland/Odessa, San Angelo, and El Paso; Texas west of the I-35 corridor metros is still pretty sparse. Only El Paso is the actual very large city too and they don't even have a million people 300 miles west of Odessa. This portion of Texas will not invoke most people of Southern images.
To be honest with you, while not as extreme anymore, it's still very noticeable. Outside of Lubbock, Amarillo, Abilene, Midland/Odessa, San Angelo, and El Paso; Texas west of the I-35 corridor metros is still pretty sparse. Only El Paso is the actual very large city too and they don't even have a million people 300 miles west of Odessa. This portion of Texas will not invoke most people of Southern images.
My great aunt lives in El Paso and she loves it there. I'm planning to visit this summer.
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