Big Fan of yours, Brother Maust, but you've got it ass backwards on this one.
The term "Yankee" has acquired additional,
derivative definitions over the centuries.
Outside of America: American.
Outside of Dixie: Northerner.
But it retains a very specific
core definition ~ it's original and
truest definition:
Native of New EngLand.
Nothing
more.
Nothing
less.
Just because some dogshytte baseball team from New York claimed the name 100 years ago and still persists in doing so ~ and just because 90-99 of
Yankees are ignorant enough to actually
go along with that bullshytte, surrender their unique and freedom fighting heritage, and call themselves "New EngLanders"
doesn't make it true.
Why do you think that the term "Yankee" grew to be considered by many to be the collective name for
all Americans? It's obvious, isn't it?
It's because New EngLand
dominated our nation's formative history.