When a newcomer tries to understand Kentucky, or a native Kentuckian muses about what makes this state so special, a question usually surfaces: Is Kentucky a Southern state, or is it Midwestern? Most consider Kentucky as a Southern state because of our history and folkways. We seem to be "more connected" with the South rather than the Midwest.

Here are some reasons why Kentucky qualifies for a Midwestern state. Louisville and Northern Kentucky, with its proximity to Cincinnati, have given the state a greater sense of ethnic and religious diversity than almost anywhere else in the South.

Louisville and Northern Kentucky, with their strong Roman Catholic and German-American influences, helped give the state some of the "Old World flavor" that is more often found in cities such as Chicago and Milwaukee.

Historically, Kentucky has had union membership far more typical of the Midwest than the South. Louisville was the focal point for the state's unions, because for a long time that's where the industrial jobs were. And Kentuckians who couldn't find work at home often had to migrate to places such as Cincinnati, Dayton, and Detroit, where they fell under a Midwestern influence.

Yet another reason would be in sports, Kentucky's favorite pro sports teams have been baseball's Cincinnati Reds and football's Cleveland Browns which are located in the Midwest.

Look at the map, Kentucky lies close to Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. In the frontier days, this part of the country was known as the West, and the traffic down the Ohio River and across the mountains into the region gave these states a lifestyle that bound them together. In this sense, Kentucky absorbed some Midwestern influence, long after the West moved farther west of the state.

Northern Kentucky has an accent that sounds very much like Midwesterns. So after reading this what do you consider Kentucky, Midwestern or Southern? I'm perplexed on this one, I think we're more Southern, but that's just my opinion. In the meantime, until this question is answered, would you like some sweet ice tea? Or would you prefer a can of soda?

Written by: Rob

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