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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.





During the days of the Revolution, the differences between the North and South were probably not as pronounced as they were after the War of 1812 and the Louisiana Purchase. It was the question of slavery's place in westward expansion that created the divide within the United States. So yes, Washington and Jefferson would likely have thought of themselves not so much as "Southerners" but rather Virginians. The question is whether they would have regarded themselves more as Virginians than Americans, as Robt. E. Lee did.
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"Offer them what they secretly want and they of course immediately become panic-stricken."