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Back in the pre-Civil War era, "the East" referred specifically to New England, which is decidedly to the east of the rest of the original states. There is one modern residue of this older and otherwise archaic usage: the Eastern States Exposition, aka The Big E, which is the collective state fair for the New England States in late September in Springfield, Massachusetts.
I agree with the Western use of "back East" and while I've only heard it used a time or two, I can see the correlation with the coastal mid-Atlantic/Northeast, just as "East Coast" traditionally has from my perspective. But that doesn't mean that the two terms would be used interchangeably since they aren't exact equivalents. A Californian would say "I'm from back East" but would be more likely to say "New York is the largest city on the East Coast" instead of "New York is the largest city back East." "Back East" has more of a personal connotation to it.
Go check this out and then tell me it's not a Gulf Coast city.
Aside from that, it's a port city, has a private-sector economy built on oil & gas, and has Creole and Cajun culture, does Mardi Gras big, etc. What else would Baton Rouge be if not a Gulf Coast city?
I concur.
I hear westerners refer to Chicago and St Louis as back East in modern times. I thought back east meant east of the Mississippi since the US was pretty empty between the Mississippi and California prior to the civil war. The South being grouped with the East makes more sense nowadays since most of the south is in the eastern half of the US, but Texas and Oklahoma are the two exceptions. Texas being a fortiner western state the aligned itself with the south despite its western influences and being formerly a part of Mexico. Texas served as California's Southern counterpart during the mid 19th century and still does to this day and two of the biggest economies in the US.
Back in the pre-Civil War era, "the East" referred specifically to New England, which is decidedly to the east of the rest of the original states. There is one modern residue of this older and otherwise archaic usage: the Eastern States Exposition, aka The Big E, which is the collective state fair for the New England States in late September in Springfield, Massachusetts.
Citation please. I find it hard to believe that NYC and Philadelphia were not considered to be “the east” in 1860. The Louisiana Purchase was 1803. Kansas was a state on January 29, 1861. The Civil War was a few months after that.
Citation please. I find it hard to believe that NYC and Philadelphia were not considered to be “the east” in 1860. The Louisiana Purchase was 1803. Kansas was a state on January 29, 1861. The Civil War was a few months after that.
I hear westerners refer to Chicago and St Louis as back East in modern times. I thought back east meant east of the Mississippi since the US was pretty empty between the Mississippi and California prior to the civil war. The South being grouped with the East makes more sense nowadays since most of the south is in the eastern half of the US, but Texas and Oklahoma are the two exceptions. Texas being a fortiner western state the aligned itself with the south despite its western influences and being formerly a part of Mexico. Texas served as California's Southern counterpart during the mid 19th century and still does to this day and two of the biggest economies in the US.
I don't consider West Virginia to be really East Coast, but the other places yes. West Virginia is more the South. I think when most people say "East Coast" they don't really include the South, not even coastal cities like Savannah and Charleston SC.
Back in the pre-Civil War era, "the East" referred specifically to New England, which is decidedly to the east of the rest of the original states. There is one modern residue of this older and otherwise archaic usage: the Eastern States Exposition, aka The Big E, which is the collective state fair for the New England States in late September in Springfield, Massachusetts.
Quote:
Originally Posted by GeoffD
Citation please. I find it hard to believe that NYC and Philadelphia were not considered to be “the east” in 1860. The Louisiana Purchase was 1803. Kansas was a state on January 29, 1861. The Civil War was a few months after that.
P Larsen makes a good point, I seen somewhere New England described as the "Eastern states" and I am not sure if the rest of the Northeast was included or not.
However it turns out that Geoff is right historically, the Eastern States Exposition originally included New England AND the Mid-Atlantic - "All six New England states plus Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania participated".
Today the Big E is for New England. Not sure why the other Northeast states stop exhibiting at the BIG E but I am guessing it was because they had they own state fairs, I know New York has one of the largest and oldest in the country.
So at what point are you drawing the line in a state like NC? Is Charlotte East Coast? Or is it Raleigh? Or do you start with the coastal plain and Fayetteville? Seems like you are making thrice the work for little profit.
Pittsburgh is geographically more eastern than Charlotte or Miami... hence the "east coast"
The term is generally used to describe the Bos-Wash corridor due to the geographic proximity of the primary cities in relationship to each other and the surrounding mega region(s) and the resulting shared cultural, historic, economic, architectural, demographic ties said cities have with one another.
Florida is its own thing
"The South" generally encompasses everything East of the Mississippi, North of Florida and South of DC/NoVa (of which there are sub regions as well i.e the Deep South which refers to Alabama, Mississippi, Louisianan etc..)
I hear westerners refer to Chicago and St Louis as back East in modern times. I thought back east meant east of the Mississippi since the US was pretty empty between the Mississippi and California prior to the civil war. The South being grouped with the East makes more sense nowadays since most of the south is in the eastern half of the US, but Texas and Oklahoma are the two exceptions. Texas being a fortiner western state the aligned itself with the south despite its western influences and being formerly a part of Mexico. Texas served as California's Southern counterpart during the mid 19th century and still does to this day and two of the biggest economies in the US.
I live in TX, back east means to me east of Ohio, up north the midwest states Ohio to the Dakotas, down south TX to VA, out west, west of the Dakotas, NE, KS, OK, TX.
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