The Deep South is a descriptive category of the cultural and geographic subregions in the American South The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, Down South, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive region in the southeastern and south-central United States. Because of the region's unique cultural and historic heritage, including Native Americans; early European settlements of Spanish, English and. Historically, it is differentiated from the "Upper South The terms Upper South and Upland South refer to the northern part of the Southern United States, in contrast to the Lower South or Deep South" as being the states which were most dependent on plantation type agriculture during the antebellum "Antebellum" is an expression derived from Latin that means "before war" period. The Deep South was also commonly referred to as the Lower South or the "Cotton States".[1][2]
Today, the Deep South is usually delineated as being those states and areas where things most often thought of as "Southern" exist in their most concentrated form.[3]
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Usage of the term
The term "Deep South" is defined in a variety of ways:
- Most definitions include the states of Alabama Alabama (formally, the State of Alabama; /ˌæləˈbæmə/ ) is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its, Georgia Georgia ( /ˈdʒɔrdʒə/ ) is a state in the United States. One of the original Thirteen Colonies that revolted against British rule in the American Revolution, it had been the last of the Thirteen Colonies to be established, in 1733. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788. It declared its, Louisiana The State of Louisiana ( /luːˌiːziːˈænə/ or /ˌluːziːˈænə/ (help·info), French: État de Louisiane, pronounced [lwizjan] (help·info)) is a state located in the southern region (Deep South) of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state divided into parishes,, Mississippi Mississippi ( /ˌmɪsɨˈsɪpi/ ) is a state located in the Deep South of the United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The state's name comes from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, and takes its name from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi ("Great River"). The state is heavily forested outside of, and South Carolina South Carolina ( /ˌsaʊθ kærəˈlaɪnə/ ) is a U.S. state. It borders Georgia to the south and North Carolina to the north. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence from the British Crown during the American Revolution. The colony was originally named in.[4][5]
- The seven states The Confederate States of America formed as the government set up from 1861 to 1865 by eleven southern slave states of the United States of America, each of which had previously declared their secession from the United States. The CSA's control over its claimed territory varied during the course of the American Civil War, depending on the success that seceded from the United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its forty-eight contiguous states and Washington, D.C., the capital district, lie between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, bordered by Canada to the north and Mexico to the before the firing on Fort Sumter Fort Sumter is a Third System masonry coastal fortification located in Charleston harbor, South Carolina. The fort is best known as the site upon which the shots initiating the American Civil War were fired, at the Battle of Fort Sumter and the start of the American Civil War The American Civil War , also known as the War Between the States and several other names, was a civil war in the United States of America. Eleven Southern slave states declared their secession from the U.S. and formed the Confederate States of America (the Confederacy). Led by Jefferson Davis, they fought against the U.S. federal government (the, and originally formed the Confederate States of America The Confederate States of America formed as the government set up from 1861 to 1865 by eleven southern slave states of the United States of America, each of which had previously declared their secession from the United States. The CSA's control over its claimed territory varied during the course of the American Civil War, depending on the success. In order of secession they are: South Carolina South Carolina ( /ˌsaʊθ kærəˈlaɪnə/ ) is a U.S. state. It borders Georgia to the south and North Carolina to the north. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence from the British Crown during the American Revolution. The colony was originally named in, Mississippi Mississippi ( /ˌmɪsɨˈsɪpi/ ) is a state located in the Deep South of the United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The state's name comes from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, and takes its name from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi ("Great River"). The state is heavily forested outside of, Florida Florida ( /ˈflɒrɪdə/ ) is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the north. It was the 27th state admitted to the United States. Much of the land mass of the state is a large peninsula with the Gulf of Mexico to the west, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Alabama Alabama (formally, the State of Alabama; /ˌæləˈbæmə/ ) is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its, Georgia Georgia ( /ˈdʒɔrdʒə/ ) is a state in the United States. One of the original Thirteen Colonies that revolted against British rule in the American Revolution, it had been the last of the Thirteen Colonies to be established, in 1733. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788. It declared its, Louisiana The State of Louisiana ( /luːˌiːziːˈænə/ or /ˌluːziːˈænə/ (help·info), French: État de Louisiane, pronounced [lwizjan] (help·info)) is a state located in the southern region (Deep South) of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state divided into parishes,, and Texas Texas ( /ˈtɛksəs/ ) is a state in the South Central United States, nicknamed the Lone Star State. It is bordered by Mexico to the south, New Mexico to the west, Oklahoma to the north, Arkansas to the northeast, and Louisiana to the east. Texas is the second largest U.S. state in both area and population, with an area of 268,820 square miles (696. Due to the migration (especially immigration) patterns of the last half-century, large areas of Florida and Texas are often no longer included under the term. However, there are certain parts of these states, such as East Texas According to the Handbook of Texas, the East Texas area "may be separated from the rest of Texas roughly by a line extending from the Red River in north central Lamar County southwestward to east central Limestone County and then southeastward to Galveston Bay", though some separate the Gulf Coast area into a separate region, and the Florida Panhandle The Florida Panhandle is the region of the state of Florida which includes most of the northwestern part of the state. It is a narrow strip lying between Alabama on the north and the west, Georgia also on the north, and the Gulf of Mexico to the south. Its eastern boundary is arbitrarily defined along some chosen county lines, and it includes, that retain cultural characteristics of the Deep South.[6]
- Some definitions also include part or all of Virginia The Commonwealth of Virginia is an American state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. The state is known as the "Old Dominion" and sometimes as "Mother of Presidents", because it is the birthplace of eight U.S. presidents. The geography of the state is shaped by the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Chesapeake Bay,, Tennessee Tennessee ( /tɛnɨˈsiː/ ) is a state located in the Southeastern United States. According to the 2008 census, it has a population of 6,214,888, an increase of nearly 9.5% since 2000. Tennessee is the 14th fastest growing state in the US and is ranked 17th by population. It is ranked 36th by total land area. In 1796, it became the 16th state to, North Carolina North Carolina ( /ˌnɔrθ kærəˈlaɪnə/ ) is a state located on the Atlantic Seaboard in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties and its capital is Raleigh, and Arkansas Arkansas ( /ˈɑrkənsɔː/ ; AR-kən-saw) is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquin name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares a border with six states, with its eastern border largely defined by the Mississippi River. Its diverse geography ranges from the mountainous regions of the Ozarks and the.[7]
Politics of the Deep South
For most of the 19th century and 20th century, the Deep South overwhelmingly supported the Democratic Party The Democratic Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. It is the oldest political party in continuous operation in the United States and it is one of the oldest parties in the world. Today, the party supports a center-left platform.[citation needed], viewing the rival Republican Party The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by abolitionists in 1854, it is often called the Grand Old Party or the GOP. Today the party supports a center-right platform as a Northern organization responsible for the American Civil War The American Civil War , also known as the War Between the States and several other names, was a civil war in the United States of America. Eleven Southern slave states declared their secession from the U.S. and formed the Confederate States of America (the Confederacy). Led by Jefferson Davis, they fought against the U.S. federal government (the, which devastated the economy of the Old South. However, since the 1964 presidential election The United States presidential election of 1964 was the sixth-most lopsided presidential election in the history of the United States behind the elections of 1936, 1984, 1972, 1864, and 1980 . President Lyndon B. Johnson had come to office less than a year earlier upon the assassination of his predecessor, John F. Kennedy, and Johnson had[8] along with the Civil Rights Movement The Civil Rights Movement was a worldwide political movement for equality before the law occurring between approximately 1950 and 1980. It was accompanied by much civil unrest and popular rebellion. The process was long and tenuous in many countries, and most of these movements did not achieve or fully achieve their objectives. In its later years,, the Deep South has tended to vote for the Republican candidate in presidential elections, except in the 1976 election The United States presidential election of 1976 followed the resignation of President Richard Nixon in the wake of the Watergate scandal. It pitted incumbent President Gerald Ford, the Republican candidate, against the relatively unknown former governor of Georgia, Jimmy Carter, the Democratic candidate. Ford was saddled with a slow economy and when Georgia native Jimmy Carter James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. , was the 39th President of the United States from 1977 to 1981 and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize. Prior to becoming president, Carter served two terms in the Georgia Senate followed by the governorship of the State of Georgia, from 1971 to 1975 received the Democratic nomination. Since the 1990s there has been a continued shift toward Republican candidates in most political venues; another Georgian, Republican Newt Gingrich Newton "Newt" Leroy Gingrich is an American politician and author, who served as the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1995 to 1999. In 1995, Time magazine selected him as the Person of the Year for his role in leading the Republican Revolution in the House, ending 40 years of the Democratic Party being in the, was elected Speaker of the House The Speaker of the United States House of Representatives is the presiding officer of the United States House of Representatives. The current Speaker is Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat representing California's 8th congressional district in 1995. Presidential elections in which the region diverged noticeably from the Upper South occurred in 1928 The United States presidential election of 1928 pitted Republican Herbert Hoover against Democrat Al Smith. The Republicans were identified with the booming economy of the 1920s, whereas Smith, a Roman Catholic, suffered politically from anti-Catholic prejudice, his anti-prohibitionist stance, and the legacy of corruption of Tammany Hall with, 1948 The United States presidential election of 1948 is considered by most historians as the greatest election upset in American history. Virtually every prediction indicated that incumbent President Harry S. Truman would be defeated by Republican Thomas E. Dewey. Truman won, overcoming a three-way split in his own party. Truman's surprise victory was, 1964 The United States presidential election of 1964 was the sixth-most lopsided presidential election in the history of the United States behind the elections of 1936, 1984, 1972, 1864, and 1980 . President Lyndon B. Johnson had come to office less than a year earlier upon the assassination of his predecessor, John F. Kennedy, and Johnson had, 1968 The United States presidential election of 1968 was the 46th quadrennial United States presidential election. It was a wrenching national experience, conducted against a backdrop that included the assassination of civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. and subsequent race riots across the nation, the assassination of presidential candidate, and, to a lesser extent, in 1952, 1956 Presidential election results map. Red denotes states won by Eisenhower/Nixon, Blue denotes those won by Stevenson/Kefauver. Orange is the electoral vote for Walter Burgwyn Jones by an Alabama faithless elector. Numbers indicate the number of electoral votes allotted to each state and 2008 The 56th quadrennial United States presidential election was held on November 4, 2008. Outgoing Republican President George W. Bush's policies and actions and the American public's desire for change were key issues throughout the campaign, and during the general election campaign, both major party candidates ran on a platform of change and reform. Arkansan Mike Huckabee Michael Dale "Mike" Huckabee is a Republican politician and political commentator for Fox News Channel and ABC Radio who served as governor of Arkansas from 1996 to 2007. Huckabee finished second in the 2008 United States Republican presidential primaries; he announced his candidacy on January 28, 2007. Following losses to John McCain in did well in the Deep South in 2008 Republican primaries, losing only one state (South Carolina) while running (he had dropped out of the race before the primary in Mississippi). He struggled, though, outside the South, winning just 12.9 percent of the delegate count.
Cultural variations
Although originally considered Deep or Lower South, the states of Florida and Texas -- as a whole -- are not usually classified with this sub-region today. While areas of both (notably East Texas and the Florida panhandle) still retain many characteristics of the Deep South, heavy migration from outside the South as well as other historical circumstances have had the effect of diluting its overall cultural influence elsewhere within these states.
In the case of Florida, some 15% of Florida's population are retired people from all over the country. This is especially apparent in coastal South Florida. Many families (especially from the Northeast) move to Florida, and have become well-cemented into the area. This creates a cultural atmosphere very distinct from the rest of the Deep South. The culture is even further influenced by the huge Hispanic presence (20.1% of the population is Hispanic with 15.94% as White Hispanic). While most Deep South states have some semblance of a Hispanic population, they are nowhere near Texas' or Florida's in size.[citation needed] This diversity occurs mainly in South Florida and Central Florida. However those native to Florida (sometimes referred to as a Florida Cracker Florida Cracker refers to original colonial era American pioneer settlers of the state of Florida, and their descendents. The first Florida Crackers arrived in 1763 when Spain traded Florida to Great Britain. The British divided the territory into East Florida and West Florida, and began to aggressively recruit settlers to the area, offering free), in many parts of the state, such as the Florida Panhandle The Florida Panhandle is the region of the state of Florida which includes most of the northwestern part of the state. It is a narrow strip lying between Alabama on the north and the west, Georgia also on the north, and the Gulf of Mexico to the south. Its eastern boundary is arbitrarily defined along some chosen county lines, and it includes, North Central Florida North Central Florida is a region of the U.S. state of Florida. It comprises the north-central part of the state and encompasses Alachua, Bradford, Columbia, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Lafayette, Madison, Marion, Putnam, Suwannee and Union counties. The region's principal cities include Gainesville, Ocala, Lake City, Live Oak, and Palatka. The City of, the Florida Heartland The Florida Heartland is a region of Florida located to the north and west of Lake Okeechobee, composed of six inland, non-metropolitan counties — DeSoto, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands, and Okeechobee. In 2000, The US Census Bureau recorded the population of the region at 229,509. A 2005 US Census Bureau estimate places the region's, and parts of rural Florida, do maintain the Deep South culture.
In addition to migration from non-Southern states and an ever growing Hispanic population in recent decades, the settlement history of Texas after the Civil War was also a major factor in its becoming separated from the generally regarded Deep South. The western half of the state was a frontier after the conflict, and although the vast majority of new settlers were displaced Southerners looking to get a new start and Southern culture very much dominated, the resulting cattle boom and cowboy era gave rise to a way of life for many which was in stark contrast to that of the ante-bellum Deep South. Too, the physical environment (plains and prairies) of large parts of Texas differed considerably from that of the forested and cliched "moonlight and magnolias" Lower South. Although cotton remained "king" in Texas, these factors -- along with the popularity of Hollywood "western movies" -- began to establish Texas as "different" from the other states of the Deep South.
See also
- Black Belt (U.S. region) The Black Belt is a region of the southeastern United States. Although the term originally describes the prairies and dark soil of central Alabama and northeast Mississippi, it has long been used to describe a broad region in the American South characterized by a high percentage of African Americans. Communities in the Black Belt commonly face
- Dixie According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the origins of this nickname remain obscure. According to A Dictionary of Americanisms on Historical Principles , by Mitford M. Mathews, three theories most commonly attempt to explain the term:
- Old South Geographically, Old South is a subregion of the American South, differentiated from the "Deep South" as being the Southern States represented in the original thirteen American colonies, as well as a way of describing the former lifestyle in the Southern United States. Culturally, the term can be used to describe the antebellum period
- Border states (Civil War) In the context of the American Civil War, the term border states refers to the five slave states of Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, and West Virginia, which bordered a free state and were aligned with the Union. All but Delaware share borders with states that joined the Confederacy. In Kentucky and Missouri, there were both pro-Confederate
- Solid South
- Bible Belt
References
- ^ Fryer, Darcy. "The Origins of the Lower South". lehigh.edu. Lehigh University. http://www.lehigh.edu/~ejg1/sylx/fryer.htm. Retrieved on 2008-12-30.
- ^ Freehling, William (1994). "The Editoral Revolution, Virginia, and the Coming of the Civil War: A Review Essay". The Regeneration of American History. United States: Oxford University Press. pp. 10. ISBN 9780195088083. http://books.google.com/books?id=MOainyyGxhsC&pg=PA10&lpg=PA10&dq=%22cotton+states%22+deep+south&source=bl&ots=AS1XFjRoRe&sig=uitGiCxj165JPnjiShGZl0TPCL0&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=4&ct=result#PPA10,M1. Retrieved on 2008-12-30.
- ^ "1001 Things Everyone Should Know About the South". John Reed and Dale Volberg Reed. Doubleday 1996
- ^ ""Deep South"". "TheFreeDictionary.com". http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Deep+South. Retrieved on 2007-01-18.
- ^ ""Deep South"". "Synonym.com". http://www.synonym.com/definition/deep%20south/. Retrieved on 2007-01-18.
- ^ "1001 Things Everyone Should Know About the South". John Reed and Dale Volberg Reed. Doubleday 1996
- ^ "deep south - Definition from the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary". Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. Merriam-Webster. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deep%20south. Retrieved on 2008-12-30.
- ^ For many Southern white voters, Republican Dwight David Eisenhower first broke their voting behavior in the Presidential elections of 1952 and 1956, but with the Goldwater-Johnson election of 1964 a significant contingent of those same voters crossed the Rubicon into more-or-less permanized adherence to the Republican Party. Correspondingly, support for Republicans among Black voters continued eroding as it had started moving toward Democrats in the FDR election of 1936.
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Categories: Southern United States
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