Independence, Missouri; the definition of 'Middle America'?
May 27, 2023 11:18:53 GMT 10
Post by TheUser98 on May 27, 2023 11:18:53 GMT 10
copied from another forum where I posted this
Quite a few times, discussions surrounding where the most average place in the United States has been discussed on forums, and it's not surprising. Not only is this a very engaging topic but it's also very relevant in trying to partially understand the current tumultous state the country is in.
Often though, I've noticed whenever the topic of 'Middle America' (a commonly used term for somewhere perfectly average in the country) is raised by geographers and sociologists, it is almost always discussed in a very broad sense, that is, people will usually just claim a region or state best represents the national average, and won't go any deeper than that.
Way back in 1924 however, husband-and-wife sociologists Robert and Helen Lynd conducted a series of research known as the Middletown studies, they found then that the purest distillation of somewhere archetypically American to be a mid-sized town in rural Indiana called "Muncie". Since then almost no major study on a topic as specific as this has been conducted, and in the 21st century, I don't personally think Muncie can still be seen as somewhere nearly as representative as not only was America more of a rural nation back then, but its local demographics have since become rather unique. Based on the past 4 years of extensive geographic research I personally have made on the United States, I believe if anywhere in the country is perfectly in the middle in terms of location, culture, climate, history, architecture, politics, linguistics, demographics and population density, it is a town/suburb 20 minutes east of downtown Kansas City, Missouri called "Independence".
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independence,_Missouri
Named after the Declaration of Independence and founded early in the nation's history in 1827, it is located just 5 hours east of the country's continental geographic center and 4 hours north of the mean center of the national population, and the town's perfectly middle location is only half of its story, as Independence has long been an innovator, an incubator, and a bellwether for the American experience.
The town first began to prosper through outfitting pioneers as they began the journey west on the Santa Fe, Oregon, and California Trails. The city then persisted through various travails that reflected the nation at large: a bloody war over slavery, fought between the Kansas Jayhawkers and the Missouri Bushwhackers; the rise of William Quantrill; the enforcement of the infamous Order No. 11; and Civil War action on the town square. By 1900 however, Independence was a prosperous community, the location of the Mormon headquarters of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (renamed the Community of Christ), and the hometown of a young man who became the 33rd president of the United States Harry S. Truman, and certainly no typical president by any means. A former WWI veteran and farmer - two traits shared by a vast number of twentieth century male Americans, Truman also made the decision to drop the atom bomb on Japan, desegregated the U.S. military and launched the “Truman Doctrine.” It’s impossible to imagine the United States without those interventions.
But having said all of this, what do you think? Is Independence, Missouri the ultimate American experience, or should this title belong to somewhere else? I'd be particularly curious if Captain Nemo SharksFan99 mwalker96 Telso mc98 and slashpop have any thoughts.
Quite a few times, discussions surrounding where the most average place in the United States has been discussed on forums, and it's not surprising. Not only is this a very engaging topic but it's also very relevant in trying to partially understand the current tumultous state the country is in.
Often though, I've noticed whenever the topic of 'Middle America' (a commonly used term for somewhere perfectly average in the country) is raised by geographers and sociologists, it is almost always discussed in a very broad sense, that is, people will usually just claim a region or state best represents the national average, and won't go any deeper than that.
Way back in 1924 however, husband-and-wife sociologists Robert and Helen Lynd conducted a series of research known as the Middletown studies, they found then that the purest distillation of somewhere archetypically American to be a mid-sized town in rural Indiana called "Muncie". Since then almost no major study on a topic as specific as this has been conducted, and in the 21st century, I don't personally think Muncie can still be seen as somewhere nearly as representative as not only was America more of a rural nation back then, but its local demographics have since become rather unique. Based on the past 4 years of extensive geographic research I personally have made on the United States, I believe if anywhere in the country is perfectly in the middle in terms of location, culture, climate, history, architecture, politics, linguistics, demographics and population density, it is a town/suburb 20 minutes east of downtown Kansas City, Missouri called "Independence".
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independence,_Missouri
Named after the Declaration of Independence and founded early in the nation's history in 1827, it is located just 5 hours east of the country's continental geographic center and 4 hours north of the mean center of the national population, and the town's perfectly middle location is only half of its story, as Independence has long been an innovator, an incubator, and a bellwether for the American experience.
The town first began to prosper through outfitting pioneers as they began the journey west on the Santa Fe, Oregon, and California Trails. The city then persisted through various travails that reflected the nation at large: a bloody war over slavery, fought between the Kansas Jayhawkers and the Missouri Bushwhackers; the rise of William Quantrill; the enforcement of the infamous Order No. 11; and Civil War action on the town square. By 1900 however, Independence was a prosperous community, the location of the Mormon headquarters of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (renamed the Community of Christ), and the hometown of a young man who became the 33rd president of the United States Harry S. Truman, and certainly no typical president by any means. A former WWI veteran and farmer - two traits shared by a vast number of twentieth century male Americans, Truman also made the decision to drop the atom bomb on Japan, desegregated the U.S. military and launched the “Truman Doctrine.” It’s impossible to imagine the United States without those interventions.
But having said all of this, what do you think? Is Independence, Missouri the ultimate American experience, or should this title belong to somewhere else? I'd be particularly curious if Captain Nemo SharksFan99 mwalker96 Telso mc98 and slashpop have any thoughts.
10slover likes this
