Is Virginia part of "The South"?

[Cubus]

[OlderAndWiser]

Asking whether a state is a part of "The South" is not the same thing as asking if it is a Southern state. Usually (but not always,) references to The South are references to the Southern states which formed the Confederate States of America between 1861 and 1865. That would be 13 states:

Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, South Carolina, Florida, Virginia, Arkansas, North Carolina, and Tennessee. After some delay, Missouri and Kentucky finally jined the Confederae States of America.

This list is not synonymous with being a "slave" state. Slavery remained legal in Delaware and Maryland after the war began, and the slave states of Kentucky and Missouri also initially remained a part of the Union and never gave substantial assistance to the CSA in the war effort. West Virginia seceded from Virginia and entered the Union as a slave state, and slavery remained legal in Washington, DC when the war began.

[OlderAndWiser]

Thanks for MHO!

[Cubus]

You're welcome

[NamerOfStars]

Geographically? Yes, but not by a much.

Politically? Yes- the Mason-Dixon line runs through Springfield, Illinois, and the whole reason West Virginia even exists is because they chose to secede.

Culturally? Well, that's a thornier question that I don't think I'm qualified to answer. I mean, they definitely have their share of rednecks, but those aren't unique to the South. If you doubt that assertion, I have two words for you: "Go Packers".

[NaultD]

https://www.youtube.com/embed/bYaYCltLsdk

This is a pretty good video on the subject before and just leading into the Civil War. Virginia was a slave state and thus a southern state.

[Cubus]

This was 150 years ago. Many things changed

[NaultD]

When you say "the south" it means something and in being American history 150 years ago being a slave state.

[Cubus]

150 years ago Maryland used to be a southern state.

[NaultD]

Watch the video around the 21:00 and see who actively chooses to leave the union of united states of America to form a failed state.

You don't have to take personal responsibility but history is history.

[AviatorTom]

The typical definition is any state below the Mason-Dixon Line (basically the southern border of Pennsylvania, originally created to define slave vs non-slave states) is considered The South. But some states that meet the definition act more like Northern states, Virginia is one of those. So is Florida, even though it's the southernmost state of the 48 contiguous states.

[TrueConfection]

Yes. Maryland is the most northern of the southern states.

[Cubus]

I always considered Maryland north.

[TrueConfection]

It looks that way if you chop the nation in half.

[OlderAndWiser]

Maryland is not a Southern state!

[TrueConfection]

@OlderAndWiser Well, the old guy has used an exclamation point! Must be right!

[jennifer_bloom]

It’s classified as West Virginia

[FunkyMonkee]

Yes. That's why they all talk funny, down there.

[gorydetails]

South of Richmond, yeah. Not north of Richmond.

[Lucy68]

Technically

[exitseven]

Yes it is.