Is the Eastern Shore part of the South?
"I am currently living in Vermont and am constantly told that I have a "southern" accent. However, when I talk to friends of mine from Tennesee or Alabama, they insist that Maryland isn't "southern," even if the accent is "southern". I think Salisbury, and most of the Eastern Shore, is "southern" in almost everyway possible with the exception of 2 things: we don't drink sweet tea and we weren't under the control of the confederacy. I'd like to see what your viewers think, including the perspective of a New Yorker such as yourself.
Best,
Border State Bill"
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
37 comments:
I wouldn't consider Maryland northern or southern, i'd say it's mid-atlantic but if I had to choose, i'd associate more with north because of our close location to major northern cities. Although I've heard that Delaware is considered northern while maryland is considered southern. Guess that's probably not much help :) (And for the record, some of LOVE sweet tea...lol)
i know lots of people that drink southern style sweet tea.. i don't think we are considered either one really... Some people eat more southern foods I.E scrapple and then there are plenty of people who eat more northern style and prefer that lifestyle.. Maryland is just a mix of this and that.
I think it is for several reasons:
1) We're under the Mason-Dixon,
2) The Eastern Shore was sympathetic to the Confederacy,
3) There's a slave history (unfortunately)...Tubman and Frederick Douglass were from nearby,
4) The Eastern Shore was racially segregated during Jim Crow,
5) The humidity,
6) Our Accent,
7) We're Conservative,
8) We say "ya'll",
9) Nascar is big here, and
10) We drive slow.
I would also include Southern Maryland as part of the South. Western Maryland is more Appalachian.
The key here is "the Shore." Many of us who grew up on the Shore consider ourselves to be Southerners. We DO like sweet tea, and the reason we were not officially a part of the CSA is due to Lincoln having the MD legislators thrown in jail so they could not meet to vote to secede. Our politics seem to be more southern, and I don't mean redneck. That other part of MD (across the bay) would most likely be considered northern.
maryland is a bunch of liberal twits.
The mason-dixon line is 7 miles north of us "old timers"will say southern state / northern sympathizer
anon 9:44 hit the nail on the head. If you need a line then the Mason Dixon Line is it. We are Southern by that definition.
The eastern shore is south of the mason dixon line. There is a marker in Mardela along the Delaware border. We most certainly do drink sweet tea, if you look at the dinner table of most of the original inhabitants you'll find sweet tea is the drink served with meals. Scrapple however is not southern it is made in Bridgeville, DE and enjoyed by many, many northerners and can be bought in just about every grocery store as far north as Philly and Jersey. You won't find scrapple in VA Beach or other points south.
Don't confuse us here on the shore in our own little world with those that either live or come from across that damned bridge. There is no life West of the Chesapeake Bay.
I drink sweet tea...
It is said those from the Eastern Shore, meaning crisfield and deal island sin particular peak closest to the original settlers English. I don't know how true that is but as far as accents We certainly don't have a "Northern" accent and we don't have "Southern" accents we are somewhere in between. As far as the Eaastern Shore, We were held under the conditions of Martial Law during the Civil War Era. Which forced a lot of local farmers to fight back for there freedom from those conditions forming Confederate Md Companies.
CAA
The Eastern Shore is Southern for all of the reasons listed above. Just from an observational standpoint, I would argue that the locals have more in common with people living on North Carolina - Virginia border than with those living in PA.
the wars over JOSE.
"There's a slave history (unfortunately)...Tubman and Frederick Douglass were from nearby,"
Don't forget Patty Cannon.
I drink sweet tea! But, I grew up in the South. Growing up I always considered Maryland "yankee" territory, but I have been corrected since I moved here on more than one occasion. lol
Southern is a state of mind. I for one am proud to call myself a Southern Girl - Dixie flag and all!! As for the sweet tea, there's always a fresh batch in my fridge.
If you're speaking in terms of the 1800's, I'd say it was definitely southern back then. However, as someone who went to college in the deep south, we are more on the northern end. I was continuously told I was a Yankee or a Northerner for 4 year. And, in looking back on ways/ideals/heritage that I saw in the deep south (where loads of people do not drink sweet tea) I would say we are more in line with the culture of the north.
For the last two years of high school, I went to a school in Pennsylvania that several people from here had attended. During the first day of english class, the teacher asked me what country I was from, inquiring about my accent. When I told him I was from the Eastern Shore his only statement was "Son, it's going to be a long year". It was at that point that I realized the Eastern Shore has it's own language and accent, neither North or South.
I drink sweet tea too. We are Southerners according to the Mason-Dixon line and the slavery thing. We also cook "southern". I am proud to say that I'm southern and I do have a noticeable southern accent and was born and raised in Salisbury (I used to be proud of being from Salisbury, but now I'm not so sure thanks to the mare and her cronies ruining everything).
Lets not forget how federal troops had to be sent into Cambridge in the 1960's to integrate the schools. Not to mention the lynching that used to take place right in downtown Salisbury.
I say we're "southern" as well....I could LIVE on sweet tea! A friend of mine from the Boston area always teases me about being "so southern"
I also live in Deal Island, which in my opinion, has their own accent, which isn't anything even close to what I'd consider a southern accent.
I always call Maryland quasi-Southern. It is below the Mason-Dixon, but is sure isn't the deep south. And I used to drink plain iced tea before moving here, now it is sweet tea only.
Maryland definately sided with the South. When President Lincoln heard about the Maryland Legislature calling a Special Session for the specific purpose of signing allegance to the South, he dispatched the military to Annapolis. There, the UNION held our legislators at gunpoint and forced them to sign-on with the North. Lincoln did not want another Southern state in close proximity to Washington. A Plague is on display in front of Annapolis General Assembly Bldg. commemorating the event described above.
On a personal note, I wish the Union General in charge would have shot them all. They do more damage than good as has always been the case.
And I'm not allied with the North or the South.
Just listen to Maryland my Maryland and draw your own conclusions.
I moved to Salisbury about 4 years ago from Mississippi, and i'm constantly teased about being a "yankee". I found that the people here on the Eastern Shore were not much different than most back home, now cross the bridge and it's a whole new world!
Might I say that I am SOUTHERN all the way... I always have homemade sweet tea in my fridge aswell... I have a dixie flag hanging in my spare bedroom and country music always blaring!! I would consider this the south!!! I love it here!!
They don't teach the stuff in school anymore do they. Maryland, also known as the "Old Line State". Now start the internet search or library trip. Oh yeah, you need not worry about North or South today; it's the Freedom party vs. Socialist party.
American by birth, Southern by the Grace of God.
Calvin,
I don't quite understand....You're from Mississippi but ppl here call you a "yankee"? Just kind of confused.
If St. Mary's County is considered Southern Maryland, the Eastern Shore is directly accross the bay, that would make them Southern Maryland on the Eastern Shore! Growing up in St. Mary's County I never heard of sweet tea...Mom always put sugar in our tea! cj
"I don't quite understand....You're from Mississippi but ppl here call you a "yankee"? Just kind of confused."
sorry.. should have clarified that family back in Mississippi tease me for being a "yankee" since I moved here..
were neighter, were SHORE-BILLIES.
Another sweat tea drinker here. The sweater the better.
anon 9:59
Seems you need to go across the bridge and learn some facts. MANY of the people that have grown up in Maryland are considered southerners its the people that have moved into Maryland in the last 20 or so years that have made the western shore such liberals. I have lots of family across the bridge and I myself grew up there. They have many of the views that people on the eastern shore do but are stuck with the liberals that have moved all around them that work for the government. Many of the counties up there used to be nothing but farm land now its all been sold and there are a thousand houses on what used to be farms. You say there is no life west of the bridge.... I say there are no brains east of it. Looks whats running the city of salisbury!
having lived in both north and south(new york and virginia), id say we are difinitely closer to the southern way of life. and you cant deny that we are south of the mason dixon line, even though we were not allowed to join the Confederacy during the War of Northern Aggression. anon 1207 is right, hear those words and y'all will know where your at. LONG LIVE THE SOUTH!
Marylands nickname IS "America in Miniature" and when you think about it,it makes sense.
Western Maryland is rugged mountain territory and has some Appalachan flavor,metropolitan Maryland (Balt-Wash area) is big city,Eastern Shore and parts of Southern Md are reminiscent of the South and there are many diverse points in between.
There is an old wooden chair in a house on colbourne mill rd. in salisbury. That chair came from somerset county. It belonged to robert e. lee and was taken from a house that was used as an office by lee when he was in the area. the chair still has the scars from his sword. the house on colbourne mill rd. is owned by the family of a man Jim (i can't remember his last name) who was born and raised in somerset co. in fact he worked at somerset co.planning and zoning until he died a few years ago.
I'd say the eastern shore is definitely southern.
In Delaware, the joke used to be New Castle county would be given to Pennsylvania, Kent County would go to Maryland, and Sussex County would go to Alabama. Definitely Southern until you're in Texas where anyone driving a car with Maryland plates is a Yankee.
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