The Free State. Is it Southern?

[jeepjeepwhat]

Maryland's nick name is the Free State, and it's northern border is the Mason Dixon Line. I've heard it described as being a "border state" and I know that during the Civil War that the citizens fought for both blue and gray. I have been born, raised and have had somewhat of a career in Maryland, and I don't consider it to be a southern state. The reason that I don't consider it a southern state is because I don't believe Maryland has some of the qualities that I consider southern states to have.

So my questions are.

Do you consider Maryland a southern state? Why or Why not?

What are some of the qualities or impressions that you think a state has to acquire to be considered "southern"?

(Later on in the thread, I will discuss why I think Maryland is not a southern state.)

 

[jeepjeepwhat]

Maryland's nick name is the Free State, and it's northern border is the Mason Dixon Line. I've heard it described as being a "border state" and I know that during the Civil War that the citizens fought for both blue and gray. I have been born, raised and have had somewhat of a career in Maryland, and I don't consider it to be a southern state. The reason that I don't consider it a southern state is because I don't believe Maryland has some of the qualities that I consider southern states to have.

So my questions are.

Do you consider Maryland a southern state? Why or Why not?

What are some of the qualities or impressions that you think a state has to acquire to be considered "southern"?

(Later on in the thread, I will discuss why I think Maryland is not a southern state.)

 

[Alk8944]

The usual distinction is based on which side the state was on during the Civil War, just that simple. Trying to base it on which side the citizens of the state fought during that war is somewhat inane as there were citizens of all states which fought on both sides.

Maryland and Virginia are both Southern states.

 

[m1gunner]

Originally posted by Alk8944:


Maryland and Virginia are both Southern states.

But most of Maryland has been drifting rapidly to the North of late.

 

[Bandersnatch]

So has Virginia, the truth hurts....

 

[RufusG]

For as small as it is, Maryland is pretty diverse. It's much more diverse than say, Pennsylvania, which is larger, or Virginia.

The seashore is nothing like the mountains.
Western Maryland might as well be West Virginia. Baltimore and the DC burbs are obviously different. Annapolis is unique to the rest of the state. Southern MD (Calvert, Charles) isn't really like anywhere else in the state.

I don't know what constitutes a "Southern State" to most, but Maryland probably doesn't fit into the image most have of what it is.

I lived in Maryland a total of maybe 12-15 years depending on how you count, and I think it's not relevant to consider MD as a monolith because it's so diverse.

However, before you make your final decision, you should read up on the state flag, and the state song.

 

[RufusG]

But most of Maryland has been drifting rapidly to the North of late.

MD elected a Republican governor not that long ago, and if the war in Iraq hadn't been so unpopular, he might actually have been reelected.

 

[tom turner]

Here in Georgia, the only southern state we've got . . . is FLORIDA . . . and the further down you go in Florida . . . the more NORTHERN it becomes!

 

[VAdoublegunner]

I usually try to get through Maryland by the quickest possible route to reach the safety of PA. I can carry there. MD is not particularly self-protection friendly. We would gladly cede Northern Virginia® to you, and even throw in little timmy kaine with the deal...

. Except for parts of the eastern shore, it doesn't seem particularly southern to me either.

 

[Bandersnatch]

VAdouble, we've got enough pro0blems of our own....you keep all of virginie, try to do a lil something with West by God while you're at it Mmmmk? we'll work on our neighbor to the north once we get ourselves on an even keel.

John Kasich for Governor....

 

[NFrameFred]

Only thing that "needs to be done" around here I can think of at the moment is about Ohio drivers on the WV turnpike

 

[The Highlander]

Well, here in Tennessee, I am pretty sure no one considers Maryland a Southern State. And we aren't so sure about Virginia and West Virginia either. Florida is only southern in the rural north and central areas. And GA is southern everywhere except Atlanta.

 

[Andy Griffith]

When did WV build a turnpike?

The fastest way to get from the north part of the state to th south part...is through Ohio.

Maybe I answered my own question.

 

[deralte]

Originally posted by Andy Griffith:
When did WV build a turnpike?

The fastest way to get from the north part of the state to th south part...is through Ohio.

Maybe I answered my own question.

The construction of the WV turnpike started in 1952, several years before the Eisenhower Turnpike effort was funded.

Maryland used to be a southern state but has since been infiltrated by to many yankees.

One strange fact about Maryland - they had the largest slaveholder of the time and he was black.

 

[7.62foryou]

My wifes uncle was born and lived there all his life. He sure sounded southern to me.

 

[BarbC]

It's very easy to tell.

Order breakfast. If you get hash browns, it's a northern state. If you get grits, it's southern.

 

[glypnir]

Yeah, but that WV turnpike used to have only 2 lanes. The only 2 lane limited access highway I remember driving on.

To get back to the original question, there's no clear dividing line between North and South that can really stick. I've walked along the Mason Dixon line (it's hilly) and things looked pretty much the same on either side.

If we use that disturbance that we can't even agree on the name of, the most <STRIKE>rabid</STRIKE> enthusiastic secessionists were from around South Carolina, not the farthest south.

As some poster pointed out, all states were somewhat divided in their positioning.

I think that border state is a good description of Maryland for that time period.

But I think that with the demographic changes that have taken place in the 150 years since, the description of South and North is getting somewhat inadequate, if it wasn't already to start with.

 

[Bob Wright]

Pretty much the same about peas; green, northern; brown, Southern.

And sea food: In the South, its catfish and hushpuppies, maybe an order of crewfish. In the north, its cod, chowder, and lobster.

Bob Wright

 

[Bob Wright]

But, in the long run, Southern is not location, its a state of mind.

 

[rburg]

Originally posted by Bob Wright:
But, in the long run, Southern is not location, its a state of mind.

Closest answer so far.

Here's the problem, and the answer. Maryland is behind enemy lines. It hasn't always been that way, but it is now.