Am I Northern or Southern?

As a resident of the United States, you may wonder whether you live in the North or the South. The Mason-Dixon line is commonly considered the boundary between the Northern and Southern United States, but there are various cultural, political, and geographical factors that contribute to regional identity.

The Mason-Dixon Line

The Mason-Dixon line was surveyed between 1763 and 1767 to resolve border disputes between British colonies in Colonial America. It demarcates the states of Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey from Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, and North Carolina. This line is often viewed as the traditional divide between the cultural regions of the Northern and Southern United States.

States below the Mason-Dixon line developed plantation economies reliant on slave labor during the colonial era and are typically categorized as Southern. States north of the line had more mixed economies and free labor and are considered Northern. However, the Mason-Dixon line’s relevance as the boundary between North and South has become less distinct over time.

The Missouri Compromise Line

Another important historical line is the 36°30′ parallel set by the 1820 Missouri Compromise. This legislation sought to maintain the balance of slave and free states in the union. The law prohibited slavery in the former Louisiana Territory north of the parallel, with the exception of Missouri.

The Missouri Compromise line differs from the Mason-Dixon line. For example, it demarcates southern Illinois below the line despite being north of the Mason-Dixon line. The compromise’s repeal in the 1850s contributed to rising tensions between the North and South ahead of the Civil War.

Cultural Influences

Culture and way of life also distinguish Northern and Southern states. These differences developed from the contrasting origins of settlers in each region.

Northern states were largely settled by Protestant immigrants from England and other European countries who promoted more secular lifestyles. Immigration continued into the 19th and 20th centuries from places like Ireland, Germany, Italy, and Eastern Europe.

Meanwhile, the economy and culture of the South evolved under the plantation system. An oligarchy of wealthy landowners amassed political power and influenced traditions. The majority of African Americans remained enslaved until after the Civil War.

Echoes of regional culture remain today. For instance, religious life is generally more fundamentalist and conservative in the South, where the Southern Baptist Convention wields influence. Foodways, dialects, music, and political stances continue to be shaped by history.

Census Regions

Official United States census data divides states into four regions that give insight into regional identities. These regions are:

• Northeast: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey
• Midwest: Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas
• South: Maryland, Delaware, West Virginia, Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas
• West: Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Idaho, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, Washington, Oregon, California, Alaska, Hawaii

This census grouping is broadly consistent with the cultural delineations between Northern and Southern states. The Midwest and Northeast are generally considered Northern regions, while the South remains its own distinct region.

Political Affiliations

Political trends also highlight regional alignments. Electoral maps regularly show Southern states leaning Republican and Northern states leaning Democrat. For example, during the 2020 presidential election, Donald Trump easily won among Southern states while Joe Biden dominated in the Northeast.

These political affiliations have origins in the Civil War and positions on slavery. Southern Democrats defended the plantation economy while Republicans from Northern states pushed for abolitionism. Later events like the civil rights movement of the 1960s and the Protestant religious revival of the 1970s further entrenched partisan divisions between North and South.

Population Centers

Urbanization patterns demonstrate differences between Northern and Southern culture and economies. The South has historically had fewer, smaller cities. Most of America’s largest metropolitan areas are located in the North and West regions, including:

• New York City
• Los Angeles
• Chicago
• Dallas
• Houston
• Washington D.C.
• Philadelphia
• Miami
• Atlanta

This list indicates how major urban development has centered around the Northeast megalopolis and West Coast while bypassing much of the South. Cities that have grown in the region tend to have distinct Southern flair.

Economic Influences

Differing economic development has also contributed to the divergence of Northern and Southern identity. The 19th century industrial boom largely overlooked the South where agriculture, especially cotton production, continued to dominate.

The invention of the cotton gin made widespread cultivation of short-staple cotton possible. This entrenched the plantation economy in the South, including dependence on slave labor. Meanwhile, industrialization, immigration, and urbanization transformed the landscape of the North.

Echoes of this economic divide persist today. For example, the South’s per capita income and standard of living continue to lag behind the national average while Northern states like Massachusetts and Connecticut rank at the top.

Climate Differences

Climate variation between regions also shapes regional associations. Much of the South falls into a humid subtropical climate zone characterized by hot, muggy summers. Winters tend to be mild across the South with minimal snowfall.

Meanwhile, the more northern states have a humid continental climate featuring cold winters with regular snow. Summers bring warm but less oppressive heat and humidity. These seasonal differences contribute to perceptions around lifestyle between the regions.

Conclusion

While the Mason-Dixon line has traditionally divided them, drawing the boundary between the Northern and Southern United States has become more complex over time. Cultural identities, urbanization patterns, political affiliations, economics, and climate all overlap in ways that blur regional lines.

Ultimately, the distinction between North and South retains usefulness for understanding broad trends in American history, politics, society, and economics. But many states contain a mixture of both regions. State and local community characteristics define culture more than strict regional designations.