American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America
About This Book
* A New Republic Best Book of the Year
* The Globalist Top Books of the Year
* Winner of the Maine Literary Award for Non-fiction
Particularly relevant in understanding who voted for who in this presidential election year, this is an endlessly fascinating look at American regionalism and the eleven "nations" that continue to shape North America
According to award-winning journalist and historian Colin Woodard, North America is made up of eleven distinct nations, each with its own unique historical roots. In American Nations he takes readers on a journey through the history of our fractured continent, offering a revolutionary and revelatory take on American identity, and how the conflicts between them have shaped our past and continue to mold our future. From the Deep South to the Far West, to Yankeedom to El Norte, Woodard (author of American Character: A History of the Epic Struggle Between Individual Liberty and the Common Good) reveals how each region continues to uphold its distinguishing ideals and identities today, with results that can be seen in the composition of the U.S. Congress or on the county-by-county election maps of this year's Trump versus Clinton presidential election.
I assume that this is based on the below.
https://www.amazon.com/American-Nations-History-Regional-Cultures/dp/0143122029
There are a couple of books that talk about how the US essentially came about as several distinct coexisting countries, which survive today. Here's one that I'd recommend.
https://www.amazon.com/American-Nations-History-Regional-Cultures/dp/0143122029/ref=asc_df_0143122029/
There is a theory that due to the size of america and how it was settled in waves by vastly different people, that it's actually 11 distinct nations. Here's a washington post article about it, but here's the book by Colin Woodard that originally proposed the theory. Very interesting and highly recommended read.
You should read this book. It's really good. Breaks down how regional cultural differences make up the political landscape across the country. New englanders/yankees see the government as a force to do good, and stress the importance of education. The deep south, the most undemocratic stresses religion and family and self reliance and disdains government, etc. etc.
Basically this is how politicians campaign, by using centuries old cultural differences to garner support and they use maps that reflect this information.
https://toptalkedbooks.com/amzn/0143122029
The problem with this is that Southern culture is not uniform. There certainly are plenty of people who subscribe to the idea of Gentleman's Southern Honor, but they do not comprise the whole state.
I recommend reading American Nations for a breakdown of some of the cultural differences that still remain in America and the South. It's not a perfect book, but it is an interesting start.
When I was traveling in Europe and people found out I was from Maine, the first response was usually "Oh! Maine! Stephen King!"
I found Mainer Colin Woodard's book American Nations a nice guide to how and why the US is not a homogenous culture.