One surefire way to pick a fight with a Kentuckian is to try to explain that she is somehow less southern than the rest of The South. Kentuckians are some of the most conscientiously southern folks you’ll ever meet. We are passionately southern. Anyone trying to classify a Kentuckian as anything other than southern is simply lacking good judgment. So, I’m going to speak my piece and be done with the topic.
A Matter Of Geography
The first argument folks will try to use against Kentucky is geography. One’s location relative to the Mason-Dixon is the single qualification required for the geography of The South. The entire commonwealth of Kentucky falls south of the Mason-Dixon Line. But just in case that wasn’t evidence enough, geographically, Kentucky extends further south than some towns in Tennessee (i.e., Fulton, Kentucky is more geographically southern than Clarksville, Tennessee). Kentucky extends further south than Virginia.
If Kentucky isn’t southern what else could it be? It sure isn’t geographically north. Some may offer the Midwest as an acceptable region but what is Kentucky west of other than Virginia and the Atlantic Ocean? Kentucky is one state removed from the nation’s Eastern border. You can’t get more east than Kentucky unless you’re Virginia…or West Virginia. You’d be hard-pressed convincing anyone that Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana aren’t southern states yet they’re all more west of the Bluegrass. Kentucky clearly isn’t West enough to be considered West in any form.
Florida is geographically southern, but we all know, the further south you travel in Florida, the less Southern you get. The majority of Floridians do not consider themselves southern and southern folks don’t accept most of them as southern. Southerners will ask from what part of Florida a person is from to really get a feel of how southern they are.
Kentucky is Southern In Culture
At any rate, any southerner worth the butter in their grits will tell you that Southern-ness encompasses more than residing in a particular geographic region. Southern is culture. Southern is a state of mind.
Culture includes all the features of everyday existence; culture consists of beliefs, rituals, behavior, religion, food, arts, attitudes, language, and customs. When it comes to Southern Culture, Kentucky values remain consistent with the south’s.
Kentucky food, with our preference toward all things fried or barbecued, is super southern. Our tea, sweeter than the belles who make it, is undeniably southern. The way we talk, with both a slow drawl and an Appalachian twang and the euphemisms we use, can be found only south of the Mason Dixon. Our rituals and customs can be observed every Saturday in the fall. You’ll find Kentucky belles in sundresses at tailgates, and we tailgate for everything from football to horse races. Debutant balls and cotillions are not foreign to Kentuckians in this day in age. Dang near all of us Kentucky belles have a tiara, sash, and some type of title stashed away from our youth. All of this pomp and circumstance is predicated on the value of marrying well and starting a southern family. The way Kentucky approaches every phase of life, from birth to death is quintessentially southern in practice. I’ve traveled to every state in the union. Therefore, I’m well aware that the South, including Kentucky, seems to be the only region where strangers pay their respects to the bereaved by pulling over on the side of the road. Kentucky is a red state like the rest of the south showing exactly where its political values stand.
A Common History
A center point of southern culture is its adherence to tradition and history. Regardless if it makes you proud or ashamed, history is the immutable tie that binds Kentucky to the rest of the south.
Kentucky has been southern since 1792. As the first southern state admitted after the independence of America, Kentucky has been southern long before the Louisiana Purchase welcomed eight out of 13 southern states.
In addition to its longevity, both the president of the Confederate States and the United States during the civil war came from Kentucky…born 100 miles or so apart. A state’s relationship with the south during the time of the Civil War is really the determining factor of its legitimacy within the region. Kentucky straddled the fence during the War Between The States— wanting to remain one nation but maintain the institution of slavery too. After emancipation, Kentucky took on a more fervently southern identity. It clings to the “Just Cause” propaganda that is still taught in Kentucky Schools. Kentucky erected so many confederate statues it would be a wonder if any Kentuckian has ever seen a Union monument. It’s not uncommon for Kentucky folks to be able to look in their backyards and around their neighborhoods and be in a Civil War battleground or confederate grave yard. Now, what Northerner or Midwesterner can say the same?
Reenacting the antebellum period is a Southern Pastime.
Kentucky has Southern Street Cred (We’re Backwoods Legit)
Besides, the SEC college sports conference and Southern Living Magazine recognizes Kentucky as southern. I’d say that’s confirmation enough. So with geography, history, and culture firmly planted in the south, there’s just no use in trying to dissociate Kentucky from its Southernness.
Every southern state boasts its own unique personality. Louisiana showcases its French and Creole heritage. The low country of South Carolina intertwines hospitality into its fabric. Cattle ranching culture plays a significant role in Texas’ notable style. We’ve got mountain states, cotton states, and sugar cane state(s) all of which provide a distinction from rest of the southern states. Like members of a family, each individual has a unique identity, but their kinship binds them all together. Kentuckians hold a kinship to other southerners that they don’t have with any other region of the US. Maybe it’s the accent. Perhaps it’s the menus we are nourished by or the behaviors we instill in our offspring regardless of where we raise them. I believe our way of living, colloquialisms, and fundamental reputation make Kentucky, without a doubt, southern through and through. Upper south or mid-south, yes, but entirely south nevertheless. And if you refuse to believe that well, bless your sweet little heart, you can just kiss my Kentucky bluegrass!
