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According to Colin Woodard's 2011 book American Nations, North Carolina is divided into three subregions - Tidewater, Greater Appalachia, and the Deep South. He places the Triangle, Greensboro, and most of eastern North Carolina in Tidewater, while Winston-Salem, Charlotte, and the western Piedmont/mountains are in Greater Appalachia. Finally, Wilmington and Fayetteville are placed in the Deep South. His argument primarily focuses on history, but would you say this is accurate? I figured this would be a good topic to discuss on this site, especially given it's connection to geography, culture, and specific cities.
Does this guy have San Antonio as Greater Appalachia?
I think it's in "El Norte," although it's weird to see Greater Appalachian expanded so far west into the Great Plains and so far north into the Midwest. He has Dallas-Fort Worth, Oklahoma City, Indianapolis, and Columbus in Greater Appalachia.
What do you think of the way he categorized North Carolina, though?
It's perplexing that the Triad is split into two different cultural regions. I don't buy that at all.
I also think that I'd stretch the Tidewater to be inclusive of Wilmington. There seems to be more cultural connection to the outer banks up toward Hampton Roads than to the rest of the Deep South.
I could also make a strong argument that the greater I85 corridor from Raleigh to Atlanta could be a separate cultural nation with so many fast growing and migratory cities in that path.
It's perplexing that the Triad is split into two different cultural regions. I don't buy that at all.
I also think that I'd stretch the Tidewater to be inclusive of Wilmington. There seems to be more cultural connection to the outer banks up toward Hampton Roads than to the rest of the Deep South.
I could also make a strong argument that the greater I85 corridor from Raleigh to Atlanta could be a separate cultural nation with so many fast growing and migratory cities in that path.
Agreed regarding the Triad. Winston-Salem in Greater Appalachia makes sense because it was largely settled by the same pioneers who settled Appalachia (Great Wagon Road/Scots-Irish, Germans), but I suppose Greensboro might as well be in the same cultural region if you examine the nations in this day and age. After all, he included Raleigh and Durham in the same region.
This is more of a redux of the state's historic east/west division, with Deep South and Tidewater constituting the eastern part of the state and Greater Appalachia the west.
But I don't think this map is an accurate reflection of modern-day regional divisions. Today it's the Appalachia/Piedmont/Coastal divisions that best reflect that.
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Originally Posted by rnc2mbfl
I also think that I'd stretch the Tidewater to be inclusive of Wilmington. There seems to be more cultural connection to the outer banks up toward Hampton Roads than to the rest of the Deep South.
I'd have to disagree with this by virtue of the fact, as little-known as it may be, that Wilmington is part of the Gullah-Geechee Corridor.
Also, with Wilmington and Myrtle Beach growing towards each other more and more these days, it's become common for folks looking to relocate to that part of coastal Carolina to take a look at both cities since they are so close.
I would argue that the Tidewater regional appellation mainly applies to the Hampton Roads metro, which the northeastern corner of NC containing OBX and Elizabeth City are part of, and that the name of the larger region is actually the Chesapeake Bay which include Hampton Roads, Richmond, DC, and Baltimore. Folks in DC/Baltimore love them some OBX, which kinda brings the regional identity full circle.
This is more of a redux of the state's historic east/west division, with Deep South and Tidewater constituting the eastern part of the state and Greater Appalachia the west.
But I don't think this map is an accurate reflection of modern-day regional divisions. Today it's the Appalachia/Piedmont/Coastal divisions that best reflect that.
I'd have to disagree with this by virtue of the fact, as little-known as it may be, that Wilmington is part of the Gullah-Geechee Corridor.
Also, with Wilmington and Myrtle Beach growing towards each other more and more these days, it's become common for folks looking to relocate to that part of coastal Carolina to take a look at both cities since they are so close.
I would argue that the Tidewater regional appellation mainly applies to the Hampton Roads metro, which the northeastern corner of NC containing OBX and Elizabeth City are part of, and that the name of the larger region is actually the Chesapeake Bay which include Hampton Roads, Richmond, DC, and Baltimore. Folks in DC/Baltimore love them some OBX, which kinda brings the regional identity full circle.
The OBX are more convenient to access from VA and DC than they are to most of NC.
I would agree that Wilmington has more in common with the Deep South. It's too close to South Carolina to be included in Tidewater.
Northeastern North Carolina (Albemarle Sound, OBX) is pure Tidewater, IMO. It might be a silly example but crabbing seems to be bigger in these parts, and I've always associated crabbing with Tidewater culture.
To offer my two cents on the map, I don't know how I feel about the Triangle and Greensboro being included in Tidewater. It's almost like he didn't know where to place them, because they're clearly not in the Deep South and they're too far east to be included in Greater Appalachia. I'll have to read the book and see. I definitely agree that Winston-Salem is Appalachian-influenced, though. The foothills begin to rise from the western Piedmont around Winston, although the actual Blue Ridge is an hour's drive further west.
The OBX are more convenient to access from VA and DC than they are to most of NC.
Yep. My co-workers are always surprised when I tell them they can get to OBX from the DC area faster than someone from Charlotte can.
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Originally Posted by costellopresley82
To offer my two cents on the map, I don't know how I feel about the Triangle and Greensboro being included in Tidewater. It's almost like he didn't know where to place them, because they're clearly not in the Deep South and they're too far east to be included in Greater Appalachia. I'll have to read the book and see. I definitely agree that Winston-Salem is Appalachian-influenced, though. The foothills begin to rise from the western Piedmont around Winston, although the actual Blue Ridge is an hour's drive further west.
The Piedmont is considered Greater Appalachia so Greensboro and Durham/Chapel Hill should certainly be included. Raleigh is a fall line city geographically but more like an interior Piedmont city culturally so throw it in Greater Appalachia as well. I also just noticed that this map has all of the Charlotte metro within NC as part of Greater Appalachia, but the SC metro counties are Deep South which is utterly ridiculous. York, Lancaster, and Chester counties all have the same sort of history and culture as their NC counterparts and were also settled by pioneers traveling south on the Great Wagon Road from PA.
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