The 11 nations of North America Colin Woodward and Tufts/Brian Stauffer In his fourth book, "American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures in North America," award-winning author Colin Woodard identifies 11 distinct cultures that have historically divided the US. "The country has been arguing about a lot of fundamental things lately including state roles and individual liberty," Woodard, a Maine native who won the 2012 George Polk Award for investigative reporting, told Business Insider. "[But] in order to have any productive conversation on these issues," he added, "you need to know where you come from. Once you know where you are coming from it will help move the conversation forward." Here's how Woodard describes each nation: Yankeedom Encompassing the entire Northeast north of New York City and spreading through Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, Yankeedom values education, intellectual achievement, communal empowerment, and citizen participation in government as a shield against tyranny. Yankees are comfortable with government regulation. Woodard notes that Yankees have a "Utopian streak." The area was settled by radical Calvinists. New Netherland A highly commercial culture, New Netherland is "materialistic, with a profound tolerance for ethnic and religious diversity and an unflinching commitment to the freedom of inquiry and conscience," according to Woodard. It is a natural ally with Yankeedom and encompasses New York City and northern New Jersey. The area was settled by the Dutch. New York City is located in Woodward's New Netherland. Flickr / Andrés Nieto Porras The Midlands Settled by English Quakers, The Midlands are a welcoming middle-class society that spawned the culture of the "American Heartland." Political opinion is moderate, and government regulation is frowned upon. Woodard calls the ethnically diverse Midlands "America's great swing region." Within the Midlands are parts of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, and Nebraska. Tidewater Tidewater was built by the young English gentry in the area around the Chesapeake Bay and North Carolina. Starting as a feudal society that embraced slavery, the region places a high value on respect for authority and tradition. Woodard notes that Tidewater is in decline, partly because "it has been eaten away by the expanding federal halos around D.C. and Norfolk." Greater Appalachia Colonized by settlers from the war-ravaged borderlands of Northern Ireland, northern England, and the Scottish lowlands, Greater Appalachia is stereotyped as the land of hillbillies and rednecks. Woodard says Appalachia values personal sovereignty and individual liberty and is "intensely suspicious of lowland aristocrats and Yankee social engineers alike." It sides with the Deep South to counter the influence of federal government. Within Greater Appalachia are parts of Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia, Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Indiana, Illinois, and Texas. Louisville, Kentucky, is located in Woodward's Greater Appalachia. Flickr / Peter Dedina Deep South The Deep South was established by English slave lords from Barbados and was styled as a West Indies-style slave society, Woodard notes. It has a very rigid social structure and fights against government regulation that threatens individual liberty. Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, Texas, Georgia, and South Carolina are all part of the Deep South. El Norte Composed of the borderlands of the Spanish-American empire, El Norte is "a place apart" from the rest of America, according to Woodard. Hispanic culture dominates in the area, and the region values independence, self-sufficiency, and hard work above all else. Parts of Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, and California are in El Norte. The Left Coast Colonized by New Englanders and Appalachian Midwesterners, the Left Coast is a hybrid of "Yankee utopianism and Appalachian self-expression and exploration," Woodard says, adding that it is the staunchest ally of Yankeedom. Coastal California, Oregon, and Washington are in the Left Coast. San Francisco is a natural fit for Woodward's Left Coast. Shutterstock / prochasson frederic The Far West The conservative west. Developed through large investment in industry, yet where inhabitants continue to "resent" the Eastern interests that initially controlled that investment. Among Far West states are Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Washington, Oregon, North Dakota, South Dakota, Colorado, Nevada, Utah, Nebraska, Kansas, Arizona, New Mexico, and California. New France A pocket of liberalism nestled in the Deep South, its people are consensus driven, tolerant, and comfortable with government involvement in the economy. Woodard says New France is among the most liberal places in North America. New France is focused around New Orleans in Louisiana as well as the Canadian province of Quebec. First Nation Made up of Native Americans, the First Nation's members enjoy tribal sovereignty in the US. Woodard says the territory of the First Nations is huge, but its population is under 300,000, most of whose people live in the northern reaches of Canada. Woodard says that among these 11 nations, Yankeedom and the Deep South exert the most influence and are constantly competing with each other for the hearts and minds of the other nations. "We are trapped in brinkmanship because there is not a lot of wiggle room between Yankee and Southern Culture," Woodard says. "Those two nations would never see eye to eye on anything besides an external threat." Woodard also believes the nation is likely to become more polarized, even though America is becoming a more diverse place every day. He says this is because people are "self-sorting." "People choose to move to places where they identify with the values," Woodard says. "Red minorities go south and blue minorities go north to be in the majority. This is why blue states are getting bluer and red states are getting redder and the middle is getting smaller." This map shows the US really has 11 separate 'nations' with entirely different cultures
Whoever penned that has never spent any time in "New France." While Orleans Parish is certainly a liberal cesspool, many of the other included parishes are quite the opposite...conservative folks with a strong sense of duty and honor, mixed in with an admirable work ethic and family ties that will not be broken.
These guys need to do their homework and leave the bong alone. 5.1 million As of the 2011 American Community Survey, the nation's population of American Indians and Alaska Natives, including those of more than one race. They made up 1.6 percent of the total population. Of this total, about half were American Indian and Alaska Native only, and about half were American Indian and Alaska Native in combination with one or more other races. Source: 2011 American Community Survey <http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/11_1YR/S0201//popgroup~009> 8.6 million The projected population of American Indians and Alaska Natives, including those of more than one race, on July 1, 2050. They would comprise 2 percent of the total population. Source: Population projections <https://www.census.gov/population/www/projections/summarytables.html> From the so-called report "First Nation Made up of Native Americans, the First Nation's members enjoy tribal sovereignty in the US. Woodard says the territory of the First Nations is huge, but its population is under 300,000, most of whose people live in the northern reaches of Canada." There are, in California alone, over 600K 689,320 so says the FedGov. The American Indian and Alaska Native population in California as of the 2011 American Community Survey. California was followed by Oklahoma (502,934) and Arizona (346,380). Source: 2011 American Community Survey <http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/11_1YR/S0201//popgroup~009> Total time to run this data down - under 5 min.
Not trying to defend his thesis, but historically he is close to right, those area highly influenced by particular groupings are as described. The Aleut and other native Americans had little major influence outside of the northern regions and the populations of the US were somewhat as he described until the mass media, migration, the impact of WWI and WWII on the draftees, and standardized education destroyed most regional effects. Growing up in Minn in the 1940's we had our own accent, music, no racial diversity, little cultural diversity, and our own politics. My grand kids here in New England are members of a totally different culture than my wife and I and I wouldn't have any idea of what it could be part of.
He paints with a broad brush, based on generalizations and stereotypes that are two hundred years outdated. We do have regional differences, which is why so many of us chafe at the bit of big city oriented government. What works in DC, LA and NYC fails miserably in the Deep South, the West, the Midwest (excepting Chicago) and other fly-over areas.
Why pick on Race or National Origin? That seems pretty (subversive? racist?) Why not language? One of the clearest regional differences in the U.S. can found by tracking the words people use to refer to soft drinks, which is in fact the map you saw at the top of this story. Pop or soda, or even Coke, these small linguistic differences are not as small as we might think. While “soda” commands the Northeast and West Coast (green) and “pop” is in between (black), “Coke” reigns in the south (turquoise). These small distinctions can often act as touchstones for larger cultural differences. You can slice and dice the US in many ways.. The Invisible Borders That Define American Culture link goes to a piece that look at many different similarities in the US population...
That map looks about right, you do NOT want to say "Coke" in Miami, Chicongo, LA, NYC, Deriot and other communist strong holds, unless of coures, you really DO mean something other than flavored water.
There's some legal wrangling going on right now in the People's Republik of Kalifornia to get the State of Jefferson legislation on the 2018 ballot and it actually stands a good chance.
I might consider moving to Moon Pie. I may only eat one every year or two, but they instantly transport me to Moon Pie Paradise.
Gator that's because,as usual, awyall got lumped in with the rest of us southerners who wash down our Moon Pies with a Big Red. Sucks I know but that's just the way it is.