The
United States is not one nation, but a federation of nations with their own
unique histories and cultures. These nations spill over traditional
national boundaries encompassing most of North America, and explain most of the
political conflicts that now consume U.S. politics. And the divisions are
intensifying.
This is
the proposition of American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional
Cultures of North America. (Penguin, 2011) Author
Colin Woodard brings to bear a combination of historical and statistical
analysis down to county levels to map those nations. Resonant with
earlier work such as Joel Garreau’s The Nine Nations of North America,
Woodard’s analysis is far more refined. As a lifetime student of
regionalist literature, I would say Woodard has accomplished the most skillful
mapping of the continent’s real cultural regions to date.
The
outcomes in U.S. political life are clear – the division of red and blue
states, deadlock at the federal level, government shutdowns, the split between
urban and rural voters. Issue after issue, from abortion to gay marriage,
takes on a distinct geography. That extends in a big way to climate
change and the differing responses by the 11 nations. Having experienced
those politics directly, I will in this series focus on the implications of
Woodard’s mapping for climate policy in the U.S.
First,
the nations. Woodward broke the continent down by county lines, which
seem increasingly to be the most cogent defining lines in American political
life. This is a point brought out as well by Bill Bishop in The Big Sort, good companion reading to American
Nations. Here's the map. Click on for larger view.
Yankeedom – Culturally shaped by its Puritan
forbears, this region stretching from New England to the Great Lakes, is
characterized by an emphasis on education, the common good, and the positive
powers of government to guide society. Ideas of manifest destiny and
American exceptionalism derive from Yankeedom, which is driven to reform all
the rest of the nations. Predictably they see the Yankees as busybodies
who can’t mind their own business.
New
Netherland – The
New York metropolitan area, still echoing its original Dutch culture of
tolerance of diversity and freedom of inquiry, as well as freewheeling
mercantilism.
Midlands – An oddly shaped strip beginning
with the Quaker origin point around Philadelphia, snaking out across the
Midwest and encircling Yankeedom to encompass Ontario, the Midlands is
characterized by pluralism, an emphasis on middle class values, and a
non-ideological politics skeptical of government.
Tidewater – Founded in Virginia by the
Cavaliers seeking to re-create English manor life, Tidewater has an
aristocratic heritage. Its area is limited to the Atlantic coast, and is
slowly retreating before the Midlands, as can be seen in places such as
Northern Virginia
Greater
Appalachia –
Spanning the center of the US from the Appalachian Mountains through the border
states to Texas, this nation was formed by Scotch-Irish from the borderlands of
the northern British Isles. Near constant warfare fostered a warrior
ethic and an emphasis on individual liberty, with a resistance to government
and elites public and private. This is the home ground of Christian
fundamentalism, as well as a disproportionate share of those in military
service.
Deep
South – Founded by
immigrants from the notably vicious slaveocracy of Barbados around Charleston,
South Carolina, this nation extends through much of North Carolina and out to
East Texas. With a more virulent brand of slavery than Tidewater, the
Deep South led the Civil War secession movement. Today the region
continues as a low-wage area under the rule of economic elites.
New
France – The French
settlers of Quebec spawned the continent’s most liberal and egalitarian
culture. The Acadians deported from the Canadian maritime provinces
centuries ago provide New France with a salient in Southern Louisiana.
El
Norte – Actually
the oldest of the nations dating back to the 1500s, El Norte is an
Anglo-Mexican hybrid taking in the U.S. Southwest and Northern Mexico from the
Gulf to Pacific coasts, including Los Angeles, and north through New Mexico and
Southern Colorado. The region is now majority Latino.
Far
West – The dry
lands from the Great Plains to the Sierras and Cascades, the Far West is
characterized by environmental limitations that barred much small-scale
agricultural settlement. Instead development has been driven by large
natural resource and railroad corporations. The resource colony history
still heavily influences politics in the region.
Left
Coast – The
maritime Pacific strip from Northern California through British Columbia and
Southeast Alaska, the Left Coast was shaped by Yankee traders who founded the
cities and the Greater Applachians who settled the countryside. That has
given the culture a unique combination of Yankee public spirit and individual
self-realization. I am a child of the Midlands but have lived most of my
life on the Left Coast. Woodard’s analysis tells me why.
First
Nation – The
northern portion of the continent, the largest nation in territory and the
smallest in population, the indigenous still rule here and maintain traditional
cultures. They are also pointing toward a more ecological future.
To those
who object that the original cultures of most of these “nations” have long been
overrun by immigrants, Woodard offers the doctrine of first effective
settlement. The original settlers form the prevailing culture, which is
adopted by subsequent immigrants.
In the next installment I will correlate the
11 nations to the geography of climate politics in the U.S. and Canada.
I’ll give you my download on federal climate politics as well, and how
the nations have arrayed against one another.
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