Virginia had a number of "mosts” that made it appealing, if not representative of all Confederate states: the most citizens among the Southern states; the most slaves; the most men under arms; the most famous Southern generals; the most fighting within its borders; the most divided by the war (what other Southern state lost a quarter of its territory and saw a new state created out of that former territory?); and the most damaged by the war.

In light of the findings from early research in social psychology, research in folk linguistics has also examined the social characteristics that non-experts associate with regional linguistic variation.

It's in that little brick buildin' straight acrost from the sheriff's door o' the jail--ye've been neighbors this long time!

And solace sought he none from priest nor leech, / And soon the same in movement and in speech / As heretofore he fill'd the passing hours […]