Us South

History

The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South or

simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive region in the southeastern and south-
central United States. Because of the region's unique cultural and historic heritage,
including early European colonial settlements, the doctrine of states' rights, the
institution of slavery, and the legacy of the Confederacy during the American Civil
War, the South has developed its own customs, literature, musical styles, and varied
cuisines. It is between the Atlantic Ocean and the Western United States, with
the Midwestern United States and Northeastern United States to its north and the Gulf
of Mexico and Mexico to its south. It also has major portions that are part of the Eastern
United States.
Culinary
The cuisine of the Southern United States encompasses diverse food traditions of
several regions, including Tidewater, Appalachian, Lowcountry, Cajun, Creole,
and Floribbean cuisine. In recent history, elements of Southern cuisine have spread to
other parts the United States, influencing other types of American cuisine.
Many elements of Southern cooking—tomatoes, squash, corn and its derivatives, are
borrowings from indigenous peoples of the region. From the Old World, European
colonists introduced sugar, flour, milk, eggs, and livestock, along with a number of
vegetables; meanwhile, enslaved West Africans introduced black-eyed
peas, okra, rice, eggplant, sesame, sorghum, melons, and various spices.[1]
Many Southern foodways are local adaptations of Old World traditions.
Literature
Southern United States literature consists of American literature written about
the Southern United States or by writers from the region. Literature written about the
American South first began during the colonial era, and developed significantly during
and after the period of slavery in the United States. Traditional historiography of
Southern United States literature emphasized a unifying history of the region; the
significance of family in the South's culture, a sense of community and the role of the
individual, justice, the dominance of Christianity and the positive and negative impacts
of religion, racial tensions, social class and the usage of local dialects..