We were solidly Democratic because Lincoln and his Reconstructionists were Republicans.
And many southerners to this day refuse to vote for a republican because of it. I don't have enough fingers and toes to count how many native North Carolinians I know who vote democrat because their mother, grandmother, great grandmother, etc... were democrats and they would "roll over in their grave if I ever voted for a republican." Talk about making an educated decision when voting.
Yep. And a lot of the socialism we have to live with today was supported by the South.