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Why is the south known as Dixie land?

At a time when businesses did business using pounds, shillings and pence but the
Portuguese Johannes, the Spanish doubloons and pistols, the French sous and
picayunes, the Italian and Flemish ducatoons were all circulating and 1 shilling
and 4 pence was one sixth of a milled peso (a piece of eight) or 2 shillings and
a half pence was equal to half a dutch dollar (yes-a very confusing time) the
Citizens bank of New Orleans issued a straight forward $10 bill, which became
very popular.

However, because it was New Orleans and there were lots of French people around,
on the back of the $10 bill they printed the French word for ten which is “dix”.
These notes became so popular that they became know as “Dixies”.

In 1859 a singer songwriter by the name of Daniel Decatut Emmett wrote a song
called “Dixie’s land” which became very popular too (see how we used to get on
so well with the French!!!).

Anyhow, he was a Northerner and presumably because of pronunciation differences
everyone thought he was singing “Dixie Land” and this is how the South became
know as Dixie Land – eh Voila!

http://www.skunkworks.webaxxs.net/20...ixie-land.html

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Amazing how the administration has soured feelings toward the French.
Personally, I think they're generally pretty good.



mike