The State of Maryland doesn’t really think of itself as southern anymore:
ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Maryland’s official song may include a line about “Northern scum” left over from the Civil War era, but the state isn’t feeling so Southern anymore.
Though Marylanders live just south of the Mason-Dixon Line, their attitudes and even their accents straddle that border. These days, leaders feel they’ve got more in common with states to the north.
In one sign of the shift, lawmakers successfully petitioned to move from the Southern Region of the Council of State Governments to the Eastern Region, where they’ll be able to trade ideas with fellow officials from Pennsylvania, New York, and other states they consider more like-minded.
“I just don’t think we’re as Southern as people used to think,” said state Sen. Catherine Pugh, a Baltimore Democrat.
Of course, Maryland has always lived life as a border state even though it is technically in the South. During the Civil War, Maryland was one of only two states south of the line not to secede, and was the site of the bloodiest single battle in American history. Southern sympathies in the state were so strong that President-Elect Lincoln had to be transported in disguise from Baltimore to Washington, D.C. in advance of his Inauguration for fear of assassins.
In recent years, though, it’s become quite apparent that Maryland has more in common with Pennsylvania and the Northeast than it does with it’s southern brethren.
And, quite honestly, there are some who would say that these days the real demarcation line for the South is the Rappahannock River in Virginia.
One of the reasons why Maryland didn’t secede was that several of their Representatives in Congress were jailed to keep Maryland in the north.
I’d argue the demarcation for the M-D line starts at the James River.
Its actually at Fredricksburg; VA no longer claims Northern VA, this is supported by the fact that the VA “Welcome Center” on I-95 is in Fredricksburg, which is approximately 40 miles south of the Maryland border
Dave is on the right track. Lincoln sent federal troops into Baltimore, where the troops opened fire on local citizens, then they jailed many of the Assembly members so that no vote on secession could be had.
2010 marks the 150th Anniversary of the War for Southern Independence. While this should be a period where we salute the valor of soldiers who fought on both sides with colorful and dramatic battle re-enactments, the political correctness worshipers are going to try and make the observance into a solemn event marked by mournful walks along various recently fabricated, “slave trails.”
Just an aside, Southern Maryland, such as Calvert County, St. Marys and St. Charles, remain VERY Southern, and quite proud of it! Visitors to those areas often see our Battle Flag proudly displayed on businesses, at homes, as well as on boats and vehicles. The Sons of Confederate Veterans, and the United Daughters of the Confederacy are still very active in Maryland. Many Marylanders still don’t consider themselves “Northerners” no matter what the woman from “Baldamor” says.
This is not difficult to understand. It is irrelevant as to whether one THINKS Maryland, Virginia, or DC is northern or southern. The FACT is they are all BELOW the Mason-Dixon Line and the line has not moved. In addition, the area is incorrectly called the Mid-Atlantic. The OFFICIAL Mid-Atlantic (PA, NJ, NY) is part of the northeast U.S., which is also comprised of New England (ME, NH, VT, RI, MA, CT). As someone from New Jersey who has also lived in the south (Memphis, TN), I can truly say that MD, VA, and DC are definitely more southern than they are having northern characteristics.
http://www.census.gov/geo/www/us_regdiv.pdf