Monday, January 15, 2018

"Dixie" Is More Than The Confederacy


On January 10th, singer Dolly Parton announced that she was eliminating the word "Dixie" from the name for her dinner show formerly known as the "Dixie Stampede."

According to its website, the "Dolly Parton Stampede is an extraordinary dinner show with thirty-two magnificent horses and a cast of top-notch riders. They will thrill you with daring feats of trick riding and competition, pitting North against South in a friendly and fun rivalry. You will enjoy a barrel full of music, dancing, special effects and family friendly comedy along the way. Celebrate as the North and South join together in a patriotic salute of Red, White and Blue featuring COLOR ME AMERICA, written and recorded by Dolly herself. The Patriotic Grand Finale soars with flying Doves of Peace, luminous costumes and fireworks, reminding you of the pride and spirit of America."


Since her announcement, I've received a number of emails asking me a couple of questions about this. Yes, while I'm sort of shocked, I've been asked for my opinion on this. But though that's the case, I'm going to put my opinion aside for a moment or two and instead try to answer a couple of other more important questions pertaining to this.

The first question that a few readers have asked is "what does the word Dixie mean and where did it come from?" The second question that's being put to me is something that I hope to find a suitable answer for. Basically, my readers want to know what's so wrong with the word "Dixie" that Dolly Parton had to say she was removing the word over "cultural concerns"?

So let's take the first question first. Dixie is an area of our great nation. Yes, it is an historical nickname for the South. Yes, the states in the Southern part of the United States. Yes indeed it's a nickname for the area below the Mason-Dixon Line.

Most agree that the word "Dixie" is in reference to the states below the Mason-Dixon Line which was also once called the "Mason and Dixon Line". In fact, the most popular theory of where the word "Dixie" originated has to do with the Mason-Dixon Line.

It is believed by many that the Mason-Dixon Line was a direct result of the secession of states from the Union at the outbreak of the Civil War. But before folks start jumping to conclusions that it was established when the South seceded from the Union, fact is that's not true. The Mason-Dixon Line was created before we broke away from England and became the United States. It's true, it was actually created before the United States became the United States. 

In reality the Mason-Dixon Line was actually created because of colonial borders. It was established after a survey was undertaken in 1767 by Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon. It was done in an attempt to resolve border disputes which involved Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Delaware which were still British colonies. It is said that the Dixon side of the line is the South. Yes, "Dixie"!

The Mason-Dixon Line set by the Missouri Compromise of 1820 is the white line.
Fifty-three years later, it was the result of the Missouri Compromise of 1820 that made the Mason-Dixon Line important to the history of slavery. It was during the Congressional debates leading up to the Missouri Compromise that the term "Mason-Dixon Line" was first used to designate the geographical and political boundary between free states and slave states.

So all and it might be surprising to know that the nickname "Dixie" for the South was already widely in use over 50 years before the political boundaries of the Missouri Compromise and almost 100 years before the establishment of the Confederate States of America and the Civil War.

So knowing that, ask yourself if you think that's the reason the South is known as "Dixie"? I believe that's the case. Yes, even thought there are others who give other reasons why that area is called what it is.

For example, some say that the name "Dixie" is in reference to "Dix Notes" which is what $10 bills in Louisiana were called. "Dix Notes" was paper money issued by the Bank of New Orleans up to 1860. 


On one side of the banknote is the word "Dix". The word "Dix" is French meaning "Ten". Since folks in Louisiana spoke French before they ever spoke English, "Dix" appeared on the bilingual notes which were issued in New Orleans long before the Civil War.

Remember, with the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 from France, President Thomas Jefferson doubled the size of the United States. The Louisiana Purchase, western half of the Mississippi River basin was purchased in 1803 from France at less than three cents per acre for 828,000 square miles. The purchase not only doubled the size of the United States, but it also strengthened the country materially, strategically, while also providing the motivation for America's westward expansion.

New Orleans being the gateway to the Mississippi River had a huge financial impact on the South. The New Orleans $10 bills were used as currency throughout the South. And no, it wasn't unusual for someone on the Mississippi River to say that he just left New Orleans with a "pockets full of Dixies." After a while, all of the area South of the Ohio River was being referred to as "Dixieland" or simply "Dixie". 

Another theory about the word "Dixie" has to do with a farm on Long Island, New York. That story about the origin of "Dixie" goes to a the story of a man named Johan Dixie, some say his surname was Dixy. He was said to have been a a Manhattan farmer who was also a slave owner in the mid 1800’s. With the abolition of slavery on Manhattan Island where slavery is said to have been legal until 1827, Johan Dixie relocated his farm and slaves somewhere in the South. Supposedly his slaves missed their treatment on Mr. Dixie's farm in New York state and reminisced about "Dixieland."

Frankly, I don't put a lot of credence in the story of a New York farmer as being the origin of the word "Dixie". And as for the song "I Wish I Was in Dixie," that song was very popular song throughout the United States. The song was extremely popular, and soon simply became known as "Dixie."


While it was about Southern pride and love for the South, it's said to have actually been written by a Northern from Mount Vernon, Ohio. His name was Daniel Emmett. He supposedly published the song in the 1850s as a minstrel show tune. It's said the song was performed on stage with the singers in blackface using what's termed "an exaggerated negro vernacular" of the times.

How popular was the song? Well, it's said that the song was played at the inauguration of Confederate President Jefferson Davis in 1861. It's also said that the song became the "unofficial" anthem of the Confederate States of America. Of course, the man responsible for freeing the slaves, President Abraham Lincoln, is said to have loved the song. In fact, it should be noted that when President Lincoln heard about General Robert E. Lee's surrender at Appomattox Court House, he asked the military band to play "Dixie". As he was reported as saying at the time, "I've always loved that song." He must have since he also used it during his 1860 presidential campaign.

But since the song is associated with the Confederacy, despite the fact that it was written in the North by a Yankee, a Northerner, a man from Ohio, some people today perceive the song as offensive, racist, and about Southern slavery. Those same people say the song "Dixie" is a racist reminder of the Confederacy and decades of white domination. In my opinion, that's a lot to get out of a song that does not talk about slavery or oppression of others. After all, no where in it's lyrics is there a mention of buying, selling, or owning slaves.

And while those same people see the song as offensive with hidden connotations of racism in every note, I've always loved the tune and have always seen it as a song celebrating a sense of Southern pride that goes a lot farther back in time than just the Civil War. I've never seen it about slavery or racism. And frankly, though I love the entire song, my favorite version is "An American Trilogy" sung by Elvis Presley where he combines "Dixie" with the parts of the "Battle Hymn of the Republic" and parts of "All My Trials" which is referred to as an "old negro hymn."

I see my liking the song "Dixie" as simply a song of Southern pride versus those individuals out there who see the song as offensive and racist, as a perfect example of the divide in our nation these days. Even though nowhere in the song does it talk about racism, people like Dolly Parton are going along with the political correctness in a time when our past as a nation is being attacked by those who want to rewrite and change America into some place that they envision.

Their notion of what America is supposed to be eliminates regional pride. They have the desire to cleanse us of our past by wiping out those things which we honor, our defenders, our local heroes, our heritage and history as a nation.

In Seattle, Washington, those same people see it as OK that a statue of the founder of Communist Russia, the Soviet Union, is located where the public can view it. Yet those same people are upset by Civil War monuments in the South. Monuments of those who heard to call and went to war to fight for their states. Right or wrong, those Southern men waged war against those who they saw as invaders. They answered the call to mostly defend their towns and cities. It was to hold back the destruction that was being waged on the South. Yes, destruction in terms of "Total War."

We forget that towns, cities, manufacturing plants, and farms were wiped out by advancing Union armies. Horses, mules, and cattle were in many cases consumed as food to stave off starvation because of the destruction of food sources and because of the block-aid of the South.

Over a half of the South's livestock were killed by the end of the war. The South's transportation infrastructure was in ruins with little to none railroad and riverboat service. As for the railroads, two-thirds of the South’s rails, rail yards, and bridges were systematically destroyed by the Union Army. During the war, Southerners went hungry. When the war was finally over, Southerners still went hungry for a long time.

Thank God for their resilience, fortitude, and perseverance. Thank God they pulled together and rebuilt. Thank God for those who fought to save towns and cities from the onslaught of the Union Army. Many of those who defended towns or ran the block-aids to get food to starving Southerners had statues raised in their honor over the years.


Today, there are people who work diligently to tear down those statues, to remove the word "Dixie," to remove Confederate battle flags, all because they see those things as offensive relics. Sadly, I see Dolly Parton as joining those who believe in censuring speech and removing our history.

These are the same people who want to add the inscription to President Thomas Jefferson's monument to say that he was a "slave owner." Of course these same people aren't intelligent enough to know that Thomas Jefferson also ended the importation of black slaves into the United States in 1806 because he was anti-slavery. They're too busy trying to re-write our history to actually know what the real history of our great nation really is.   

And now, Dolly Parton has joined their ranked. Personally, I find it hard to believe that she dropped the word "Dixie" from her Stampede Show. Her company says that they did it to make the show more "palatable" for a "broader audience." But frankly, I can't help but wonder if she understands that the word "Dixie" is the longtime nickname of our Southern states. A nickname that predates our nation ever being established. I can't help but wonder if she realized that the word's origin has zero to do with slavery and is derived from when the Mason-Dixon Line was surveyed by the British before we were Americans.

Dolly's Stampede Show is located in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, and Branson, Missouri. Both are tourist destinations that specifically cater to the Southern culture and country music fans. I can't help but wonder if she understands that her removal of "Dixie" will be seen as her surrendering to those who want the Confederate battle flag removed from the South, that her actions embolden those who want statues of Southern heroes removed, or that she has now joined the Snowflakes who want all symbols of the South removed permanently. 

To me, it appears she has now joined the few very vocal people out there who have made it their mission in life to remove all aspects of our history from America. First they started with the Confederate battle flag, next they attacked Southern monuments, and in recent months they've attacked George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. It's sad to see her associated with such people. Very sad. After all, the word "Dixie" is more than just the South. Dixie is a way of life.

You wrote to ask for my opinion, and that's the way I see it. 

Tom Correa 



 

6 comments:

  1. Elizabeth L. Johnson said, I concur, sir. I was in school in Arkansas for a short time. In elementary school there, we had a school assembly each and every school morning. We listened to a scripture, we prayed, we pledged allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and we sang "I Wish I Was In Dixie", and the national anthem. I thought the tearing down of statues in the south was foolishness. I like Dolly very much, and saw nothing wrong with Dixie Stampede, in the least.

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  2. I read your article again, we're in big trouble,dolly of all people has fallen for the politics of the new political bs of today's movement in America, when will it end? Dolly you have forgotten where you came from.

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  3. “ They have the desire to cleanse us of our past by wiping out those things which we honor, our defenders, our local heroes, our heritage and history as a nation.” How can you honor slavery? A lot of history is being correctly told nowadays, opposed to the past where certain individuals want it their heritage and history to look squeaky clean. However, everyone knows now! The truth hurts and a lot of individuals are in pain because they’re being exposed. Their history and their heritage isn’t as squeaky clean as they made us believe in our textbooks.

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    1. Hello De, You are obviously new to my blog. I don't do Politically Correctness or attempt to report on history in a way to make it "squeaky clean." As for my entire statement which you quoted, please show me in my statement where I say that we are to somehow "honor slavery"? I did not say that.

      As for your assertion that "history is being correctly told nowadays," I don't believe that at all. I believe a lot of history is being rewritten to fit a Leftist political agenda today. You say, "individuals wanted their heritage and history to look squeaky clean." Some did. But really, good historians can tell what's bullshit and what's not.

      Leland Stanford of Stanford University fame is a great example of that. He commissioned that the history of California be written with the writer making his contributions looking better and not so crooked. Today, historians observe that work as being very good -- up to the point where the writer starts talking about Leland Stanford.

      Fact is correct, factual, accurate accounts of what took place in our history can be found in all sorts of places and not only textbooks.

      I use court records, arrest records, newspapers, maps, journals, reports, and more to research a subject. Most people don't go through those pains when researching history. What makes it worse is that people believe fiction accounts and Hollywood tales that are not correct, factual, or accurate. Since my family is from Hawaii, I don't have any connected heritage to the South. But as an American, I know that our history is all of ours. Maybe not regional, but as a whole.

      As a historian, I research the stories of our past -- glories and warts. As for your text books? Sadly, because of time constraints placed on educators in our educational system, students only get a cursory education at best in High School. Their being angry at Confederate statues is the result of such lousy educations. Most have absolutely no idea what those figures did to earn the respect of the people in their time. Most are completely unaware that some saved cities and towns from being turned into ruins by the Union Army, some kept towns from starving, others earned their acclaim after the war while fighting for the rights of freed slaves. Too bad people are so ignorant.

      In regards to things like history, science, literature, and the humanities, too many schools today rather take the time that should be spent on those subjects -- and instead focus on indoctrinating students in Socialism and Liberalism, even Communism. Never the evil of such things like Communism, but only fabricated benefits that never appear. Frankly, it's sad what you're being taught -- or not being taught.

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  4. I have no idea who that anonymous person was who sent you that post, Tom, but I will say it wasn't me. As for the whole Dolly Parton fiasco, I'm well aware of it. She decided not to use the word "Dixie" anymore because of "cultural concerns" as she put it but I'm still baffled that she just simply called it, "Stampede". It would have been nice if she called it, "Southern Stampede", or "Frontier Stampede", or even "Western Stampede". But I don't have a problem with the word "Dixie". I'm from the South so to me it's nothing new. What I hate about all of this is that she was being forced to change the name of her show due to how offensive some people thought the word "Dixie" was. I remember going to the Stampede twice and it was fun. Sadly, the one in Orlando is no longer there but that was the one I went to. I really hate what's become of this. The Dixie Chicks are now simply The Chicks, Lady Antebellum is now Lady A, and they even changed Uncle Ben's and Aunt Jemima. It won't be long before they target Popeye's and KFC. But what people don't know is that the history of the Civil War had things in there that schools just don't teach you. They don't teach you about how most of the blacks fought for the Confederacy or how some of the slaves were purchased and sold by black slave traders. Or the fact that not every Southerner during that period owned slaves. They would brainwash you into thinking that it is what it is or at least what THEY think it is. It's all confusing. I'll never get over the fact that half of the Americans want to destroy our history by removing Confederate monuments and renaming schools because they feel offended. It's the same way for the Confederate flags. But I've always had the same attitude about it as before. Hell, if they don't like it, they can kiss my ass. If this offends you, then maybe you need a history lesson. But I'll tell ya this. I ain't about to piss off no black people. That rebel flag is doing enough damage already. And another thing I won't do is use the N word. But that's because I have blacks and I'm not a racist. And I don't burn crosses. But there's one more thing I won't do. I won't give up my love for Westerns, the Civil War, or Dixie. I love all of that. And I will until the day I die. Long live the South. And if there's anybody who's offended, then I apologize in advance. But please don't make it a big deal. It's not the end of the world if we celebrate our heritage. I don't think it would kill ya to respect our history. Just sayin' And one more thing: Please don't delete this comment. I tried really hard to say how I feel about the Dolly Parton thing and I'm not looking to be banned. But if this is deleted, then oh well, I tried. I just hope this reaches you, Tom. That's about all I've got. Let me know what ya think. Bye for now.

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  5. There's a lot that schools DON'T teach you when it comes to the history of the Civil War. But then again, I just don't see how the word "Dixie" is offensive. I mean, you can't expect everybody to take the name "Dixie" out of every product that comes from the South. But I can clearly understand why Dolly Parton chose to change the name of her show. She didn't wish to offend anybody out there who might think the word "Dixie" is derogatory. But I must confess. Her show will never be the same. I was one of many people who got to see it twice before Orlando got rid of it. It's just a shame that Dolly had to change the name of the show. Now I'm not saying that it's fair. But I can understand. Dolly, if you're listening, it's not your fault. People just don't understand. "Dixie" is more than just the South. It's a way of life. And I apologize to anyone who feels offended. But then again, I didn't make the rules. I hope that answers it.

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