AP US History in 1 Minute Daily: "The New South" (Day 174/309)

Hey APUSHers, let’s chat about the New South as part of my series- APUSH in 1 Minute Daily!

The New South Newspaper, University of South Carolina Libraries

As settlers and the U.S. Army claimed victory in the West, the South was in the process of recuperating from the aftermath of the Civil War. The idea of a “New South” was proposed to modernize and rebuild the region.

Henry Grady, Wikimedia Commons

Henry Grady, a chief proponent of the “New South,” envisioned a shift from the agrarian, plantation based economy to a more self-sufficient, diversified, and industrial society. 

Birmingham Alabama Sloss Furnaces, Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark

Some areas of the south did make progress toward this vision with the growth of cities and development of industry including railroads, steel, lumber, textiles, tobacco, and mining.

Cotton Pickers in Front of the Atherton Cotton Mill, Digital History

However, continued racial tensions, labor exploitation, and economic disparities left the South largely unchanged from its pre-Civil War days. Additionally, the economy of the South remained primarily focused on commercial agriculture.

Ultimately, the "New South" was more of an ideal than reality and some attempted to redefine the region's identity. While there were some economic changes, the reconciliation of its past with a vision of modernity and progress was not realized. 

Join me tomorrow as I explain Jim Crow Laws in the next APUSH in 1 Minute Daily!