are maryland delaware west virgina and washington dc part of the north or south?

Question

i read some stuff and it said there are in the north and other things say south so could some one help me

when i was in maryland there was a sign that said mason dixon line and it was not at the maryland border it was below it so is maryland in the south north or both

Answer 1

During the Civil War (when the difference between the North and South was most evident), Maryland, Delaware, and Washington DC were all part of the Union, and were thus north. At the time, the people in West Virginia were still part of Virginia (although had been at odds with eastern Virginia over several issues), and with Union support, actually broke off to form the free state of West Virginia, so they could side with the North, and provide Union control over key areas.
So, yes in one sense, those states and DC are part of the North because of their role in the Civil War.

However, Maryland, Delaware and West Virginia, despite siding with the Union, were still states that allowed slavery. But those 3 states, along with Missouri didn't join the Confederacy and remained part of the US. DC also allowed slavery but remained part of the US. Because they allowed slavery and had other social and economic institutions that were most similar to other Southern states, those areas could be considered part of the "South" in cultural terms.

Nowadays, the US Census Bureau includes Maryland, Delaware, West Virginia and DC as part of the South Atlantic States (along with Virginia, Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas).

So, depending on your point of view, you can view those states as more properly north or south, as they are on the border - they have some cultural links to the south, and some to the north. I would tend to put them in the South, culturally, except for DC, which has its own culture.

Answer 2

I think that 99%+ of people don't care enough about assigning states to north or south to really think about it that much and just make the distinction based on an gut feeling that they probably couldn't justify because they don't care enough to have a justification worked out. That being said people probably put MD DE and DC in the north because they are politically similar. DC MD and DE are all liberal democratic "blue" states like most New England states and southern states are overwhelmingly "red" conservative republican states. West Virginia was part of the North during the civil war and usually votes democrat (except if that democrat is a black guy) so some could group it with the north. There are dozens of criteria you could use to determine which states are northern and which are southern and it seems like a waste of energy to try to convince everyone that yours are the most correct distinctions.

Answer 3

So, it still depends on who you ask, apparently. For a few years in the 1860s there was a legal distinction, under which all the states you list were legally in the North.

Nowadays I think a lot of people are romantically inclined toward the Old South. Drive around and ask people, and I will bet that you get many and varied answers.

I live in North Carolina, which is mostly southern, except for little pockets of Godless Liberals, like Winston-Salem and Chapel Hill. You will find this all over the country. It can be very subtle, and refers to minute spiritual nuances.

I know that's no real final answer. If you want a binary answer, it's the legal distinction of the years of secession. They were all in the Legal North (The Union).

Answer 4

North

Answer 5

I thought they are called the Mid-Atlantic States, but here's a picture of the Mason-Dixon Line at this link which shows Maryland, DC, and Virginia south of it.

Answer 6

South. except for Delaware. Delaware is above the Mason-Dixon line. The Mason-Dixon line was demarkation from free states and slave states. It also served as a boundary, for some, between the north and the south.

Answer 7

Maryland was neutral but like to be south. Delaware was north. D.C was a capital of north. West Virginia was part of Virginia and was south.

Answer 8

the mason dixon line only served as one of the boundries which slaves crossed to gain freedom. All the states you listed are not southern states. They did not join the confederacy, but they did have legalized slavery. DC is definatly a northern city though.

Answer 9

I'm in Delaware...Can't tell you one way or the other...we tend to think of ourselves as part of the north east, but I know in some instances we are considered south...the most northern south state I've ever seen if you ask me... I (and probably most here) consider us a north eastern state though.

Or just skip either and say Mid-Atlantic. ; )

Answer 10

South. All are south of the Mason-Dixon line.