Kentucky today is more Appalachian or Upland South rather than Deep South, but there is confusion on whether it is presently considered the south or midwest. Historically it is part of the south, but today most of Kentucky is a transitional area. Most people living in Kentucky do speak with a southern accent and enjoy southern meals such as fried chicken, cornbread and of course sweet tea!
Early Kentucky history was built on the labor of slavery and it was an integral part of the state. Slave populations were greatest in the central "bluegrass" region of the state, which was rich in farmland. These farms were smaller than the plantations of the Deep South, so ownership of large numbers of slaves was uncommon. Kentucky also exported more slaves than did most states.
*Louisville had the first library in the south open to African Americans: the Louisville Western Branch Library.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_slavery_in_Kentucky
Photo 1: Slave Census 1860 (see Louisville in the top center).
Photo2: Advertisement for the sale of slaves in Lexington, KY 1855.
'but there is confusion on whether it is presently considered the south or midwest.'
ReplyDeleteI am from BC, and as a Canadian wondered about that issue myself. But reasoned that it was the South.
Good post.