The New South

The reality of the New South

The idea of a “New south” was promoted by many southern leaders following reconstruction. The south had taken a tremendous hit in not only their economy but also race relations as well, subsequent to the civil war. While the efforts to improve the southern economy were somewhat efficient, by 1900 the southern economy was only equated to 10% of the nation’s wealth. Those who advocated for a “New south” were highly in favor of white supremacy, driving a wedge into the race relation of blacks and whites. By the time the First World War came to be, The “New South” had not become a full reality.

The southern economy was mainly depended upon on the use of slave labor. Due to the loss of the civil war and the ratification of the 13th amendment the southern economy plummeted. This forced the south to find other means of gaining income. The first major step was pushing the south into more of an industrialized economy. By the First World War the south had developed manufacturing in the Tabaco and textile industries, but was only fairly successful. Though the south did industrialize it did not compare to the rate to which the north was increasing. The South’s economy was based on the investments of the north. While large farmers were able to prosper on the cash crops, small farmers weren’t as successful. Many rural farmers were put of business due to the share cropping system and crop-linen system, which kept many farmers in debt and tied them to their lands, rural Blacks farmers took the brunt of the problems. Lacking proper education many were tied to bogus contracts, keeping many disfranchised. Though the south showed some growth, it still lagged behind the rest of the country.

Racial tensions became increasingly aggressive following the civil war. White supremacy was a major priority for southern leaders and was seen to be upheld. Such groups as the Ku Klux Klan sought to uphold this priority, by using violent and legal means to...