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I don't think New Mexico and west Texas should be considered part of the South.. Honestly, to me they seem like either a "greener" part of the Southwest or the same kind of farm region that's found in Nebraska and Kansas. Plus they're not very wooded.. That's a characteristic of the South. Humid, lots of trees. Those don't exactly fit with NM and West TX.
Also, as to Maryland being a southern state... Just look at a dang map. Ever notice how far north it is? It's not that far from one of the Great Lakes!! No way is it "Southern" in today's world. Sure, maybe technically it's just Mid-Atlantic, but how much of the US's land mass is up near Maine anyways? Not very much, so it definitely LOOKS like Maryland is pretty far up there.
I don't think New Mexico and west Texas should be considered part of the South.. Honestly, to me they seem like either a "greener" part of the Southwest or the same kind of farm region that's found in Nebraska and Kansas. Plus they're not very wooded.. That's a characteristic of the South. Humid, lots of trees. Those don't exactly fit with NM and West TX.
No question that West Texas doesn't "fit into the South" in a topographical sense. But in terms of the more important considerations (IMHO) such as patterns of settlement, speech, religion, politics, self-identification with a region, etc, it is definitely a product of the American South, not the Interior Southwest.
Now, far West Texas (i.e. trans-pecos) is something different, as it does have many historical/cultural characteristics more akin to that of the true Southwest of New Mexico and Arizona, than with the South...or even most of Texas itself.
Most folks only know about the part of the line that runs east and west along the Maryland-Pennsylvania state line. But the Mason-Dixon Line also runs along the western border of Delaware bordering Maryland to a point about 5 miles west of Delmarva Peninsula. That point on the Mason-Dixon Line would be further south than Washington, DC. The southern border of Delaware bordering Maryland is actually called the Transpeninsular Line and was surveyed by Mason and Dixon as well.
D.C, Maryland, Northern Virginia, Delaware, Southern New Jersey, & Southern Pennslyvania is consider the Mid-Atlantic area.
i wouldnt say wichita,ks is south but i will say its heavily southrly influenced ive lived there all my life and i moved to California and people think im from MS. Most of my family is from MS,OK and LA so i guess thats where i got it but still if you listened you can feel and hear the influnce.
Location: Somewhere in the Eastern Seaboard.......
316 posts, read 559,860 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ohiogirl81
The Mason-Dixon Line is the border between Pennsylvania and Maryland and West Virginia (originally Virginia), and Delaware and Maryland. Its "current location" is where it's always been.
the Mason Dixon line is just a highly accurate survey line. It doesnt really have anything to do with North or South really.
Also, I dont really understand "rural poverty". I mean, of course people living out in the sticks generally dont make as much money, but they dont actually need to. Its not like inner city poverty, where you have to be making money but arent. Rural living has advantages in that you dont have to spend much money to live comfortably. A lot of people living out there are hunters and fisherman and farmers and they get a lot of what they need by living off the land. They arent rich, but they arent starving either.
I don't think New Mexico and west Texas should be considered part of the South.. Honestly, to me they seem like either a "greener" part of the Southwest or the same kind of farm region that's found in Nebraska and Kansas. Plus they're not very wooded.. That's a characteristic of the South. Humid, lots of trees. Those don't exactly fit with NM and West TX.
Also, as to Maryland being a southern state... Just look at a dang map. Ever notice how far north it is? It's not that far from one of the Great Lakes!! No way is it "Southern" in today's world. Sure, maybe technically it's just Mid-Atlantic, but how much of the US's land mass is up near Maine anyways? Not very much, so it definitely LOOKS like Maryland is pretty far up there.
Eastern New Mexico and West Texas do have a Nebraska plains farm town feel but with a southern accent, moreso in TX and both TX and E.NM are Southern baptist. Its hard to put into a category. E NM dosent look like the rest of NM, even the houses are different.
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