New South
Definition
The term "New South" describes a time period from 1877-1914 where Southern states attempted economic transformation by focusing more on industry rather than their traditional agrarian economy.
Analogy
Imagine if your family business had always been farming apples but suddenly decided it would be better off making apple computers instead. That shift towards modernization and industrialization is what happened with New South.
Related terms
Industrial Revolution: A period from about 1760-1840 marked by new manufacturing processes which led to rapid industrial growth, much like what was aimed for in New South.
Sharecropping: A system used on southern farms after the Civil War in which farmers worked land owned by someone else in return for a small portion of the crops. It's like renting an apartment - you live there, but the property isn't yours and you have to give something (in this case, part of your crop) to the landlord.
Jim Crow Laws: These were state and local laws enforcing racial segregation in Southern states. They're like a set of unfair rules that favor one group over another based on their race.
"New South" appears in:
Study guides (1)
Practice Questions (8)
- Promoters of the "New South" in the years following the Civil War sought to promote
- What was the idea of the "New South" attempting to do?
- What were the Jim Crow laws implemented during the era of the "New South" designed to enforce?
- What was the primary labor source in the "New South" after the Civil War?
- What aspect of the Southern economy remained consistent after the Civil War during the era of the "New South"?
- Which event marked a turning point in the economic development of the "New South" after the Civil War?
- What major influence did European immigration have on labor dynamics in the 'New South' post-Civil War?
- What characterized Progressive Era reforms in relation to the “New South”?
Resources
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