New South facts for kids
New South is a well-known idea in the history of the American South. It first appeared after the American Civil War. People who wanted to make changes used this idea to ask for a more modern society. They wanted the South to join the rest of the United States more fully. This meant moving away from the old ways, like the plantation system and slavery. The term was made popular by Henry W. Grady, an editor from Atlanta, in 1874.
What Does "New South" Mean?
The idea of the "New South" was meant to describe a bright future for the region. This future would be based on a strong and growing economy. The Industrial Revolution in the Northern U.S. was a big example. Before the Civil War, the South mostly relied on farming. After the war, the South was very poor and mostly rural. It depended heavily on crops like cotton, which didn't sell for much money.
Why Did the South Need Change?
The South really needed more factories and industries. Slavery had ended, so African Americans had a new role in society. Henry W. Grady wrote and spoke a lot about the "New South." He was the editor of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Another strong supporter was Richard Hathaway Edmonds. He worked for the Baltimore Manufacturers' Record. This publication was very popular among business leaders.
Historian Paul Gaston used the term "New South Creed." This describes the promises made by people like Grady. They believed that building more factories would bring wealth to the South.
Challenges and Realities of the New South
A famous book about this time is The Origins of the New South: 1877–1913 by C. Vann Woodward. It was published in 1951. Sheldon Hackney, who studied with Woodward, praised the book. But he also explained that it wasn't a happy story. It showed how the rich families lost power. Poor white people suffered and felt let down. The middle class grew but had its own problems.
The book showed that many leaders, even those who promised change, were sometimes only interested in money. They wanted to keep control over the Black population. Poor white people faced issues like racism. The growing middle class was often careful and self-centered. The people who were most innocent were those who had no power.
Who Supported the New South Idea?
The "New South" idea was pushed by important people in the South. These were often not the old plantation owners. They hoped to make a fresh start. They wanted to work with business owners from the North. This would help modernize the South and speed up its economic growth.
Leaders like Henry Grady and even Black leader Booker T. Washington supported the New South. They wanted the South to become strong again. They hoped for peace between different parts of the country. They also wished for harmony between races. They believed hard work would solve many problems.
However, the rise of the New South still meant that white people kept power over Black people. Black people had very little political power. For example, in 1888, Grady gave a speech about the New South. He said, "The power of the white race in the South must last forever." He also said that Black people's power must be stopped. He believed the white race was better.
The New South Through Time
Hard Times and New Beginnings
The Great Depression in the 1930s made people less excited about the New South. Money for new businesses dried up. The rest of the country started to see the South as an economic failure. But World War II brought some economic success. Efforts were made to build factories to support the war.
In the southern mountains, the Tennessee Valley Authority built dams. This created jobs and electricity. It helped many people and factories. Other industries in the South, like mining, steel, and shipbuilding, grew during World War II. This prepared the South for more factories and city growth later in the 20th century.
After World War II, many American textile companies moved to the South. They wanted to use the lower wages and avoid unions. This brought economic change, people moving in, and population growth. Later, some light industries moved overseas. But new industries like car manufacturing, tourism, and energy production took their place. Because of all these changes since the Civil War, many people now use "New South" to celebrate the region's progress.
The Civil Rights Era and Beyond
The start of the Civil Rights era in the 1950s and 1960s brought the term "New South" back. It described a South that would no longer be held back by Jim Crow laws and forced racial separation. Conflicts during the Civil Rights Movement made the South seem old-fashioned to some.
At first, changes like school desegregation and voting rights were slow. This made "New South" more of a hopeful saying than a true description. But the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 brought much faster change. In the 1960s, Black people finally started to vote and hold political jobs.
Political Changes in the South
For over 100 years, the Democratic Party controlled Southern politics. This was known as the Solid South. Elections were often decided in Democratic primary elections. These were often only for white voters. Being nominated by the Democrats usually meant winning the election.
The "New South" period has two sides. After civil rights laws passed, African Americans began voting for the Democratic Party. Many had supported Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal programs. They also supported presidents like Harry S. Truman, John F. Kennedy, and Lyndon B. Johnson. These leaders had helped their causes.
At the same time, in 1964, some white Southern politicians and voters supported Republican Barry Goldwater for President. This was over the Democratic president, Lyndon B. Johnson. This started a trend where some switched parties. Strom Thurmond of South Carolina was one example. Many believe Richard Nixon's "Southern strategy" in the 1968 election sped up this change. From Nixon's time until now, the South has often voted Republican for president.
The term "New South" has also been used for Southern political leaders. These leaders supported new ideas in education and economic growth. They avoided racist talk, even if they didn't actively promote integration. This term was often linked to Southern governors elected in the late 1960s and 1970s. Examples include Terry Sanford in North Carolina, Carl Sanders and Jimmy Carter in Georgia, and Albert Brewer in Alabama.
Also, "New South" describes parts of the South that have become more diverse and modern. This has happened over the last few decades.
Modern Economy of the New South
The "New South" also describes the economic growth in the American South. Since the late 20th century, this growth is clear in many ways. The world's largest company by sales, Walmart, is in Bentonville, Arkansas. Two of the biggest U.S. banks, Bank of America and Wells Fargo, have a large presence in Charlotte, North Carolina. Bank of America has its main office there. Wells Fargo kept many of Wachovia's operations after buying it. Charlotte is also home to many other big companies like Lowe's, Duke Energy, and Honeywell.
Car manufacturing plants have decreased in cities like Detroit and St. Louis. But lower wages and fewer unions in the South have attracted foreign car makers. Companies like BMW, Toyota, Mercedes, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Nissan, and Volkswagen have opened plants. These are in states like Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee, Texas, Mississippi, and West Virginia. Meanwhile, General Motors factories still operate in Kentucky, Louisiana, Tennessee, and Texas. Two Ford factories are in Louisville, Kentucky.
Big companies like IBM, Intel, Verizon, and Microsoft have major offices in the Research Triangle of North Carolina. Also, several Fortune 500 companies, including Tesla, Inc. and many technology companies, are now based in Austin, Texas. This has given Austin the nickname "Silicon Hills".
American Airlines Group, the world's largest airline, is based in Fort Worth. Dallas is also home to many global companies. These include ExxonMobil, the largest energy company, and AT&T, a huge telecommunications company. Texas Instruments, where the microchip was invented, is also there. The Dallas-Fort Worth area is the largest metro area in the South.
Delta Air Lines, one of the world's largest airlines, is based in Atlanta, Georgia. Atlanta is also home to many other global companies. These include The Coca-Cola Company, UPS, CNN, Norfolk Southern, NCR, Mercedes-Benz, and Porsche.
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