Do You Consider Texas A Part Of The Deep South?

There seems to be a longstanding debate as to whether or not the state of Texas is a part of the Deep South. Does it matter? You'd be surprised to know that it does, depending on who you're asking and where you're asking. There are some governmental categorizations as far as regions and divisions of the United States go, and I'll get to that later.

At the end of the day, it appears the debate is sparked by a matter of opinion. Even deeper than that, this subject is debatable because it hinges on how people identify themselves or how they view places considered the Deep South.

Interestingly enough, this subject came up on a Reedit Q&A and hundreds of people weighed in on the matter. Some argued Texas was just Texas. While others went back and forth on what portion of Texas was Deep South or that it was indeed a member of the club. One thing was very clear, people have very different opinions on this matter, even Texans. Check out some of the responses below:

Interesting answers aren't they? Well, as I said above, some governmental categorizations, and historical, and geographical facts determine what states are part of the Deep South. The short answer to whether or not Texas is a Deep South state appears to be, yes. That is mainly because the state participated in the Confederacy and slavery. According to the U.S. Library of Congress:

When Abraham Lincoln, a known opponent of slavery, was elected president, the South Carolina legislature perceived a threat. Calling a state convention, the delegates voted to remove the state of South Carolina from the union known as the United States of America.

The secession of South Carolina was followed by the secession of six more states—Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas–and the threat of secession by four more—Virginia, Arkansas, Tennessee, and North Carolina. These eleven states eventually formed the Confederate States of America.

Another way to determine what side of the debate Texas fits into, is by looking up the terms definition. According to the Britannica, a state is considered Deep South,

As defined by the U.S. federal government, it includes Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia.

The South was historically set apart from other sections of the country by a complex of factors: a long growing season, its staple crop patterns, the plantation system, and Black agricultural labor, whether slave or free.

I gotta say the best opinion I came across on this highly debated matter, was a written article by Thomas Godwin via A-Z-animals.com. He was right on target when he said, "If you ask a Southerner, they’ll tell you there is a fundamental difference between states in the South and states in the Deep South." That's true, but also not true!

What's also a fact, is that the U.S. Census Bureau does not differentiate as seen on this map below:

Still, what states are Southern versus those that are Deep South remains a debatable issue depending on who you're asking and where they live. What do you think? Do you consider Texas to be a Southern or Deep South state or neither? Inquiring minds want to know. Please leave your thoughts in the comments section below.