Deep South
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Regional definitions vary from source to source. The states shown in dark red are usually included, while all or portions of the striped states may or may not be considered part of the Deep South. |
The
Deep South is a cultural and geographic subregion of the
American South, differentiated from the
"Old South" as being the post colonial expansion of Southern States in the
antebellum period. There are various definitions of the term:
*
South Carolina,
North Carolina,
Mississippi,
Florida,
Alabama,
Georgia, and
Louisiana (Six of the founding members of the
Confederate States of America)
*
Georgia,
Florida,
Alabama,
Mississippi and
Louisiana (From the
Dictionary of Cultural Literacy)
*
Alabama,
Arkansas,
Louisiana, and
Mississippi (From the
National Endowment for the Humanities)
The "Deep South" is usually defined in opposition to the
Old South including South Carolina,
Maryland,
North Carolina,
Virginia,
Delaware, and often
Georgia and also further differentiated from the inland
border states such as
Kentucky,
Tennessee,
West Virginia, and
Arkansas and the peripheral southern states of
Florida and
Texas.
Although
Florida is geographically the southernmost state, it is sometimes excluded from contemporary uses of the term "Deep South" due to the significant amount of migration into South Florida from other regions after
World War II. Urban areas in Southern states such as
Birmingham, Alabama in the early 20th century and
Atlanta, Georgia,
Charlotte, North Carolina and
Orlando, Florida in the post-war era have also absorbed waves of migrants seeking economic opportunities and warmer climates. This migration, according to some, has diluted some distinct cultural traits of the region. On the other hand, the blending of diverse cultural traditions is integral to the South's distinct urban cultures, such as in
New Orleans, Louisiana or
Mobile, Alabama.
For most of the
19th century and
20th century, the Deep South overwhelmingly supported the
Democratic Party, viewing the rival
Republican Party as a Northern organization responsible for the
American Civil War, which devastated the economy of the Old South. However, since the
1964 presidential election, the Deep South has tended to vote for the Republican candidate, except in the
1976 election when Georgia native
Jimmy Carter received the Democratic nomination. Since the
1990s there has been a continued shift toward Republican candidates in most political venues.
*Adam Rothman. Slave Country: American Expansion and the Origins of the Deep South. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2005
review*
Black Belt*
Dixie*
Old South*
Border States*
Solid South*
Bible Belt*
Upper South
