Do Marylanders consider themselves "North Eastern" (Baltimore, Annapolis: agriculture, architecture)

[jpdivola]

Generally the question is asked is Maryland a southern state. But, I wanted to ask is Maryland a northeastern state? Not a northern-leaning border state or a Mid-Atlantic state, but rather do people in Maryland consider themselves north easterners?

[personone]

No. I was born and raised in Maryland (born in the 80s, grew up in the 90's), and was taught that Maryland was the South. It definitely felt different than the Northeast. Even thought it was and still is the South, Mid-Atlantic is a more accurate descriptor, as it is not what your traditionally think of when you think of the South, but it's not what you think of when you think of the Northeast either. The blacks in MD are definitely more characteristically Southern though.

[RayHammer]

Mid-Atlantic, but....

Maryland is more culturally and traditionally tied to the Southern U.S, especially in terms of it's agriculture and seafaring traditions (which are different from agricultural and seafaring practices in the more rocky and cooler lands and coasts from PA on up through Maine).

In terms of government Maryland, as with the rest of the South, is centered around the County as opposed to towns and/or townships in the North. Those different systems influenced newer states as the U.S. expanded westward depending on where most of their settlers and/or most influential settlers came from. For example: Kentucky and Tennessee have very strong counties like their neighbors Virginia and North Carolina, whereas in Ohio or Indiana or Michigan on through Nebraska and Kansas government functions are handled at the town and/or township level.

Architecture tends to be more Southern too, with older buildings in Baltimore City and Annapolis being more like those found in Savannah or Charleston rather than in Boston or New York.

Weather-wise most of Maryland is humid-subtropical in the Koppen classification scheme.

And if none of that puts it into perspective for you, goshdarnit, we say "soda" instead of "pop".


But all that Southerness comes with a caveat. While Maryland's roots may be Southern, it has looked Northward for quite some time. The state is definitely it's own creature when it comes to the North-South debate; a bit of both, a bit of neither, though definitely Mid-Atlantic.

[Quick Enough]

Originally Posted by jpdivola

Generally the question is asked is Maryland a southern state. But, I wanted to ask is Maryland a northeastern state? Not a northern-leaning border state or a Mid-Atlantic state, but rather do people in Maryland consider themselves north easterners?

"Generally the question is asked is Maryland a southern state."

Only by those that don't know history.

MD IS BELOW the Mason Dixon line.

I've said "yawl" my entire life.

[NW4me]

Originally Posted by Quick Enough

"Generally the question is asked is Maryland a southern state."

Only by those that don't know history.

MD IS BELOW the Mason Dixon line.

I've said "yawl" my entire life.

Yes, of course it is. The Mason-Dixon Line was drawn to be Maryland's northern border.
So indeed Maryland lies to the south of its northern border. Every state lies south of its northern border.
But why does that line have any significance, other than being Maryland's northern border?

Mason and Dixon's job was to trace a border between the Maryland and Pennsylvania colonies,
not between the North and South (and the US hadn't even become a nation back then).

Speaking of history: the biggest rift in US history was the Civil War.
Maryland was with the Union -- the "North."

And I have a friend from western Pennsylvania. He says "you all."
Does that make Pennsylvania a southern state?

[westsideboy]

Originally Posted by NW4me

Yes, of course it is. The Mason-Dixon Line was drawn to be Maryland's northern border.
So indeed Maryland lies to the south of its northern border. Every state lies south of its northern border.
But why does that line have any significance, other than being Maryland's northern border?

Mason and Dixon's job was to trace a border between the Maryland and Pennsylvania colonies,
not between the North and South (and the US hadn't even become a nation back then).

Speaking of history: the biggest rift in US history was the Civil War.
Maryland was with the Union -- the "North."

And I have a friend from western Pennsylvania. He says "you all."
Does that make Pennsylvania a southern state?

So was California. Are you guys part of the Northeast United States?

[personone]

Originally Posted by NW4me

Yes, of course it is. The Mason-Dixon Line was drawn to be Maryland's northern border.
So indeed Maryland lies to the south of its northern border. Every state lies south of its northern border.
But why does that line have any significance, other than being Maryland's northern border?

Mason and Dixon's job was to trace a border between the Maryland and Pennsylvania colonies,
not between the North and South (and the US hadn't even become a nation back then).

Speaking of history: the biggest rift in US history was the Civil War.
Maryland was with the Union -- the "North."

And I have a friend from western Pennsylvania. He says "you all."
Does that make Pennsylvania a southern state?

The Census defines Maryland as Southern. But most Marylanders (at least many I know) consider ourselves (I was born in raised in Maryland) as Mid-Atlantic. Although I always thought we were "technically" Southern, which we are per the Census.

[NW4me]

Originally Posted by westsideboy

So was California. Are you guys part of the Northeast United States?

For Civil War purposes, CA was 'North,' though it's a Western state.
Illinois was 'North,' too, though geographically we call it Midwestern.

[Veritas Vincit]

The native Marylanders I've met have an accent that I'd consider much closer to Philly than to the South.

[westsideboy]

Originally Posted by NW4me

For Civil War purposes, CA was 'North,' though it's a Western state.
Illinois was 'North,' too, though geographically we call it Midwestern.

Right, siding with the Union does not make one a "northern state." For Civil War purposes, Maryland was considered a "border state" meaning a slave state that did not secede.