I don't think either Washington or Jefferson would have considered themselves southerners. I grew up in the shadow of George Washington (my house was formerly part of his farm) and received at least a small portion of my education at Mr. Jefferson's University.

I now live in the deep south and have difficulty with many of these issues... No matter.

Neither George nor Tom were Southerners in their own minds (nor are the people who currently live in the same regions) regardless of whether southerners claim them or the Mason-Dixon line boundaries define them otherwise.