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My understanding of the term "Butternut" in the 19th century Midwest is that it referred not to any particular political beliefs, but to ethnic background. Butternuts were Midwesterners of southern (especially Virginian) origin. They generally had migrated first due west to Kentucky, and then crossed the Ohio and moved north, settling into the southern parts of Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. Originally, most Butternuts would probably have been of Scotch-Irish descent. They were contrasted to "Yankees", who came from New England to settle around the Great Lakes via the Erie Canal, and largely originally of English descent. Political beliefs often followed ethnic origin, but not always. Anti-slavery Whig (later Republican) Abraham Lincoln was from a Butternut background (and lived in Springfield, a butternut part of the state), while pro-slavery Democrat Stephen Douglas was a Yankee from Vermont (and lived eventually in Chicago, a Yankee part of the state). I don't think the link to Copperheads really gives a full understanding of the term. john k (talk) 19:39, 14 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]
