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in terms of 'most southern' to 'least southern?' In terms of most extreme accents, fewest transplants, most Southern culture, cuisine, landscape, etc. Rank them on a scale of 1-10, with 1 being low and 10 being high. Here are the choices
Kentucky
Virginia
Tennessee
North Carolina
South Carolina
Georgia
Alabama
Mississippi
Oklahoma
Texas
Louisiana
Florida (North of Orlando)
I haven't visited all of these, and don't know a whole lot about most of them [except SC, GA, and NC really] so I'm not really qualified to answer, but was curious about this.
Have fun!!!
Oklahoma and Texas definitely are the least Southern. I normally don't even include Oklahoma because that is more of a plains state than it is a Southern one. Oklahoma and Texas to me are too western to be grouped in with the rest of the South. Oklahoma and Texas are as much great plains states as they are Southern, so that's my answer. i think if you wanted to talk most Southern I'd have to argue for either Georgia or South Carolina since those two states were big driving forces in the Civil War, and Atlanta is the capital of the New South. That's my reasoning. The Deep South states (Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina) are the most Southern to me. Virginia and Kentucky are the 2nd least southern pair behind Oklahoma and Texas. North Carolina and Tennessee are definitely southern as is Arkansas. Oklahoma I'd be very hesitant to list as Southern although there definitely is a case to be made for it since the Indians in Oklahoma fought for the Confederacy. I dunno...Oklahoma and Texas are to me the least Southern. Florida I definitely consider more southern than either Oklahoma or Texas.
Oklahoma and Texas to me are too western to be grouped in with the rest of the South. Oklahoma and Texas are as much great plains states as they are Southern, so that's my answer.
I always wondered: why do people tend to look at a geographical map of the U.S. through dyslexic lenses?...that is to say: Why do people always view the South as starting in the East and ending in the West (Texas, Oklahoma)? In other words you never hear people say "well Georgia is to far east, so it should be considered South East, East Coast, not Southern."
I mean, technically Texas & Oklahoma sit squarely southern on the map. They may not have the same qualities as those states to the east of them, yet they may not share all the qualities found in states to the west of them either. Which is usually the result of being situated in the middle of two culturally different regions (3 if you count the Midwest).
So they are unquestionably southern. Are they "Southeastern"? Of course not, they are central southern states, which sit in the western biome of the Antebellum South. They have unique qualities that distinguish them from other Southern states, just as N.C./KY have unique qualites about them that distinguish them from other areas of the South. I dont think difference/uniqueness, should disqualify any state that contributed to the Old Confederacy, from being considered "truly Southern". Because if it does disqualify them, then which state is considered to be the paradigm for the ideal Southern state, and whose standards would we use to disqualify say, Arkansas?
Missouri
Delaware
Florida (too many snow birds)
Maryland
Oklahoma
West Virginia
Kentucky
Texas
Virginia
Tennesee
North Carolina
Arkansas
South Carolina
Georgia
Mississippi
Louisiana
Alabama (the heart of dixie)
Missouri
Delaware
Florida (too many snow birds)
Maryland
Oklahoma
West Virginia
Kentucky
Texas
Virginia
Tennesee
North Carolina
Arkansas
South Carolina
Georgia
Mississippi
Louisiana
Alabama (the heart of dixie)
Most of Missouri is not a Southern state, it is mostly above the Mason-Dixon, nor IMO is Maryland or Delaware or Oklahoma or Texas or West Virginia. Missouri today is definitely much more Midwestern, Maryland and Delaware are much more Northeastern, West Virginia is neither here nor there, same with Oklahoma and Texas. I consider all of Florida to be a Southern state.
Despite what a lot of people will tell you (and think they know what they're talking about) all of Florida is the South. Including Miami. Even Islamorada and Monroe County.
While you say Texas is a great plains state. Texas has very little in common with Kansas, Nebraska, North and South Dakota. The eastern portion of the state, however, has very much in common with Louisiana. Like I stated earlier, if you crossed the border from Louisiana into Texas without seeing a sign, you wouldn't know the difference. Texas is a region on it's own in my opinion. But it's interesting that you say it's the central south. Census is already calling it a South-Central state or West South Central with the other states of Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Arkansas. No, Texas is not southeastern. But it's more southeastern than it is great plains.
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