Originally Posted by
Champ967
Our 8th grade La. history teacher taught us that Dixie derives from the French word for "ten" -- dix.
A ten franc note was called a dix-note, or dixie, and was still accepted as legit currency in New Orleans and the surrounding area even after the Louisiana Purchase. "Dix-land" or Dixie-land was the region wherein Dixies were traded. As long as New Orleans continued as a major distribution center and market for the entire south, the whole southeastern US was effectively "Dixie", since merchants, wholesalers, brokers etc had to be able to convert to the alternative currency that was still traded in the former French colonial capital.
I dont know how much of that's true, but it seemed plausible to a class of 13yos. I can also see now how it may be construed as offensive. But I'd prefer to not to expound on that here.