Little Dixie is a name given to southeast Oklahoma, which in the past was strongly influenced by Southern ("
Dixie
Dixie, also known as Dixieland or Dixie's Land, is a nickname for all or part of the Southern United States. While there is no official definition of this region (and the included areas shift over the years), or the extent of the area it cove ...
") culture, as its white settlers were chiefly Southerners seeking a start in new lands following the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and t ...
. In addition, it incorporated lands of some of the Five Civilized Tribes, which had been removed from the Southeast. A number of its white settlers were slaveholders, and they generally allied with the Confederacy during the Civil War.
The Oklahoma tourism department also refers to this area as "Choctaw Country," formerly "
Kiamichi Country
Choctaw Country is the Oklahoma Department of Tourism and Recreation's official tourism designation for Southeastern Oklahoma. The name was previously Kiamichi Country until changed in honor of the Choctaw Nation headquartered there. The current ...
," but the Little Dixie region is not clearly defined: Its exact boundaries vary by source. It falls mostly within the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma's tribal area, as well as some Chickasaw and
Muscogee Creek
The Muscogee, also known as the Mvskoke, Muscogee Creek, and the Muscogee Creek Confederacy ( in the Muscogee language), are a group of related indigenous (Native American) peoples of the Southeastern WoodlandsCarl Albert, it was still the 3rd Congressional district of Oklahoma. Redistricting has since changed the district's geographical boundaries
Several towns and cities in southeast Oklahoma use the ''Little Dixie'' name, and that helps to define the boundaries. A radio station in McAlester is owned by "Little Dixie Radio, Inc." The band at the public high school in Tishomingo, former capital of the Chickasaw Nation, is called ''The Pride of Little Dixie''. When President Harry Truman visited Marietta in Love County in 1948, he gave a speech saying it was a pleasure to be in the Little Dixie region of Oklahoma.Truman Library - Public Papers of the Presidents: Harry S. Truman /ref>
'' Leaves of Grass,'' a 2010 film starring Edward Norton, is set mostly in Little Dixie.
See also
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Choctaw Country
Choctaw Country is the Oklahoma Department of Tourism and Recreation's official tourism designation for Southeastern Oklahoma. The name was previously Kiamichi Country until changed in honor of the Choctaw Nation headquartered there. The current ...