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IMO, it's Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina as well as Florida (northern part, at one time all of the state was the Deep South).
.) The Deep South is a cultural and geographic subregion of the American South, differentiated from the "Old South" as being the post colonial expansion of Southern States in the antebellum period.
I think it makes more sense to group the colonial southern states together. I would include Georgia in the old south with the exception of the southern part where the cotton plantations were.
Augusta, Savanah, Macon, ATL are Old South.
Still, I wonder why it is important to break out southern states into two different regions. Why not just let each state stand on its own, 1 of 50 united states.
SC, GA, AL, MS, LA as well as eastern NC, northern FL, eastern TX, western TN, southeastern AR
One can also exempt the mountainous portions of GA, AL, and SC from the region. "Deep South" seems to typically refer to the coastal plain regions which relied more on slave labor.
My mother raised us in Virginia, but she herself grew up between Upstate New York and Memphis. My grandmother still lives in Memphis, I lived there in 8th grade, and have been to visit many, many, times. My father was born and raised in Little Rock until going to DC when he was 22-23. One of his nieces (my cousin) followed him up, but besides that, his entire family lives in Arkansas, Texas, and Los Angeles, and I've been to Little Rock many times as well. Additionally, the only Southern states I have never been to are Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Florida. I have been across the rest of the South many times...
I have always, to this day, believed in the Deep South as the parts of the South going westward, rather than southward. It's difficult for me to see any part of the Carolinas as "deep", as the quality of life, the pace of life, the subregional identity noticeably contrasts the cultures of Alabama, Mississippi, etc. The "Deep South", like any other cultural identity, is not restricted by state lines...
I'd say the Deep South, from the west, includes the Dallas and Houston areas of Texas.
-all of Louisiana.
-all of Arkansas.
-eastern half (definitely Tulsa) of Oklahoma.
-all of Mississippi.
-all of Alabama.
-Western Tennessee (west of Nashville area), southeast Tennessee (Chattanooga).
-all of Georgia.
-northern Florida (the Panhandle to Jacksonville).
My mother raised us in Virginia, but she herself grew up between Upstate New York and Memphis. My grandmother still lives in Memphis, I lived there in 8th grade, and have been to visit many, many, times. My father was born and raised in Little Rock until going to DC when he was 22-23. One of his nieces (my cousin) followed him up, but besides that, his entire family lives in Arkansas, Texas, and Los Angeles, and I've been to Little Rock many times as well. Additionally, the only Southern states I have never been to are Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Florida. I have been across the rest of the South many times...
I have always, to this day, believed in the Deep South as the parts of the South going westward, rather than southward. It's difficult for me to see any part of the Carolinas as "deep", as the quality of life, the pace of life, the subregional identity noticeably contrasts the cultures of Alabama, Mississippi, etc. The "Deep South", like any other cultural identity, is not restricted by state lines...
I'd say the Deep South, from the west, includes the Dallas and Houston areas of Texas.
-all of Louisiana.
-all of Arkansas.
-eastern half (definitely Tulsa) of Oklahoma.
-all of Mississippi.
-all of Alabama.
-Western Tennessee (west of Nashville area), southeast Tennessee (Chattanooga).
-all of Georgia.
-northern Florida (the Panhandle to Jacksonville).
This is a most interesting definition of the region...never seen Oklahoma (although one may make an argument for the southeastern corner of the state, "Little Dixie"), Dallas, or Chattanooga included. It's also rare to see SC exempted; as a native SC'er, I think the state is more like GA than any other, which you included.
I don't think in the modern era, the culture of SC is much different from AL, MS, etc. I lived in AL for 2 years, and I didn't see a difference. I didn't see a difference living in MD or NJ either.
This is a most interesting definition of the region...never seen Oklahoma (although one may make an argument for the southeastern corner of the state, "Little Dixie"), Dallas, or Chattanooga included.
To clarify:
Though I've never been to Oklahoma, I've heard little to believe the part of Oklahoma bordering Fayetteville and Fort Smith are different from Arkansas. Also, isn't Tulsa supposedly much more inclined to Southern culture than OKC and other parts of Oklahoma?
I saw Dallas as extremely southern. All the family I have in Dallas is from Little Rock. Moreover, Little Rock's "urban" culture (hip-hop) is a blend of Memphis and Dallas. Little Rockers see both as the "big city", but the syrup culture is Dallas-influenced. Also, have you heard Little Rock hip-hop? It's most definitely Dallas-influenced. Dallas has that dance happy, car-centric, upbeat rap. Memphis has a distinct music culture that really is influential to/derived from NW Mississippi, but doesn't translate to Little Rock...Little Rock and Arkansas in general is largely influenced by Dallas sports. When I went to Dallas, it certainly felt like a large city, but aside from that, I could see it as a larger Little Rock. I guess because I am familiar with the Little Rock-Dallas connections, I see those as indicators of Dallas as Deep South...
I once worked with a woman from Chattanooga, she's a friend to this day even though we don't speak often. She currently lives in Raleigh....boy, is she country! I mean, one the thickest drawls I have ever heard. That alone sold me lol, but I'll admit, aside from the fact that Chattanooga borders Georgia, I have no other explanation...
Though I've never been to Oklahoma, I've heard little to believe the part of Oklahoma bordering Fayetteville and Fort Smith are different from Arkansas. Also, isn't Tulsa supposedly much more inclined to Southern culture than OKC and other parts of Oklahoma?
I saw Dallas as extremely southern. All the family I have in Dallas is from Little Rock. Moreover, Little Rock's "urban" culture (hip-hop) is a blend of Memphis and Dallas. Little Rockers see both as the "big city", but the syrup culture is Dallas-influenced. Also, have you heard Little Rock hip-hop? It's most definitely Dallas-influenced. Dallas has that dance happy, car-centric, upbeat rap. Memphis has a distinct music culture that really is influential to/derived from NW Mississippi, but doesn't translate to Little Rock...Little Rock and Arkansas in general is largely influenced by Dallas sports. When I went to Dallas, it certainly felt like a large city, but aside from that, I could see it as a larger Little Rock. I guess because I am familiar with the Little Rock-Dallas connections, I see those as indicators of Dallas as Deep South...
That's interesting. I've never been to Little Rock, but I've been to Dallas and while I could pick up on its "Southerness" to a degree, absolutely NOTHING about it struck me as Deep South...at all. Especially the landscape/geography.
Quote:
I once worked with a woman from Chattanooga, she's a friend to this day even though we don't speak often. She currently lives in Raleigh....boy, is she country! I mean, one the thickest drawls I have ever heard. That alone sold me lol, but I'll admit, aside from the fact that Chattanooga borders Georgia, I have no other explanation...
Folks in Appalachia and environs do have pretty thick drawls, but Chattanooga is too mountainous to be Deep South IMO.
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