> I think the reason Anna used that term is that she lives in
"Dixieland". (Technically, I do too, but Kentucky was neutral during the American Civil War, and is not the "Deep South"
geographically.)

I did not know this! This is presumably why Lincoln was in such a quandry during the war. He was a Kentuckian (despite his affiliations with the Hoosier state) and members of his family fought on both sides - though up until now I never knew why. If you can, read his autobiography which, next to that of Ulysses Grant, is one of the greatest works of factual literature to come out of the US.