18 Comments
Arjana Begzati
1/12/2014 02:52:54 pm
The "New South" was the name for the South after the Civil War. The South's economy was growing and a better future was coming. Just like before the war, the South remained agrarian, with an emphasize on cotton agriculture. Yet, after the war, the South was left in a very impoverished state with a lot of destruction to the land and also economy. One of the biggest new things was the abolishment of slavery for the most part and that African Americans would paved their way to a new status in the society. After this time, industrialization and urbanization was also a big movement that swept the region. Racial harmony was encouraged in the "New South", through segregation but apparently equal conditions. Despite the improved conditions for African Americans, the idea and practice of the white people being superior remain for a long time.
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Elayna Muller
1/14/2014 02:23:33 am
Arjana, I really like your answer. You provided all the answers necessary, but do you think the South deserved to have such a bad outcome directly after the war?
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Timmi Keisel
1/19/2014 11:19:25 am
Great answer Arjana! I think your answer did well covering all the main points. Also, good question Elayna!
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AJ Brandt
1/20/2014 02:39:17 am
I like the details that you use to describe the new relationship between the people.
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Emily Muller
1/13/2014 09:14:43 am
Slaves were not allowed in the south anymore because of the war, but many tensions between the races still remained. Many people wanted black children to be separate from their children, because they didn't want them associating with each other. However, a lot of things did not change. Many blacks were forced to work on farms, because there were no other options for them, and they had no way to move up financially or socially
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Maddy Vogel
1/14/2014 02:10:10 am
Emily, you did a great job answering each question posed above. I admire your answer's simplicity and effectiveness! I also agree with your ideas as well. Slavery ended, segregation flourished, and blacks were still poor and outcasted. Great post.
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McCall Etl
1/19/2014 10:37:26 am
This is a great answer Emily. What things were new and different in the "New South" though? Were the new things better?
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Mr. C
1/14/2014 02:15:05 am
Deborah (x2), Hannah (x2), Becca (x2), Drew (x2), Emily
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Keeya Marquez
1/17/2014 02:08:42 am
The South was left in shambles in the years following the Civil War. Poor economy, destoryed land, and hunger plagued many. Thus, the ideas of Reconstruction began to surface. Follwoing the end of Reconstruction, the new term "New South" came. Although the agriculture in the South was impoverished, other ideas began to come along. The south began to become more industrialized, and more railroads were being establised to better the Southern economy. Perhaps one of the biggest parts of the New South was seen in the lives of African Americans. Some were able to climb the ladder to the middle-class, which before was never an option. Education for black people also spread more quickly. Although equality was encouraged, African Americans still suffered. Jim Crow laws were established, which allowed segregation in all aspects of life. Unfortunatley, just like in the antebellum era, the African Americans suffered from white dominance.
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Maddy Vogel
1/19/2014 07:56:13 am
Quite a few changes occurred in southern states after Reconstruction. One of the most notable was the formation of a new, very restricting political power in the region. The “Redeemers”, or “Bourbons”, were a conservative oligarchy. In some places this ruling class was similar to that of the antebellum period, but in others it was surprisingly new. Merchants, industrialists, railroad developers, and financiers made up this new class. Norther immigrants, planters, and white southerners from lower social tiers were also part of the Bourbons. “Home rule” was a focus of this group along with economic and social development. A reduction in the support of public schools was seen, and industry expanded. Textile manufacturing, iron industry, tobacco processing, and railroad development were at a high in the South; however, this industrial boom could not compare with industry in the North. Agriculture and cash crops were still relied upon heavily.
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Saige Herbert
1/19/2014 12:59:51 pm
There were many new things about the South after the Civil War. Some of these included: the absence of slavery, a more industrialized economy, and a huge increase in poverty. When slavery was abolished, this proved to be a hardship for both races. The whites were left without free labor to manage their plantations and the coloreds were now left without food, shelter, money, and a job. They now had to resort to sharecropping where they went back to work on the plantations for little to nothing. This resulted in major poverty in the South. Some colored people even believed that it was better being a slave then their current situation. Even though the South was still a major agriculture area, they began to industrialize. Factories were popping up everywhere. The relationships between the whites and the coloreds began to change. Whites were harder on the colored people because they didn't want them to have political power or any rights that they did. They developed groups like the Ku Klux Klan to intimidate the colored people into not doing anything that would put them into a position similar to theirs. However, the fact that the two races were divided stayed the same. There was still along way to go before either side was going to meet halfway.
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McCall Etl
1/19/2014 02:04:44 pm
The "New South" is an interesting term to me because several of the old views and ideas were the same as once before; however, there were some changes in the South that could make it considered a "New South." To start off this New South, the "Redeemers" came about. They were also known as "Bourbons." This new class, the ruling class, was pretty new and different for the most part. They were made up of quite a variety of people, from merchants to white southerner's from the lower social levels of society. These "Redeemers" were trying to better and develop their economy, and the Bourbons were working similarly. Among the many things that occurred, taxes were lowered, and public school systems were gradually losing their support. The New South was also working to become more industrialized. Henry Grady was promoting these industrial ideas, even though that had once been what characterized the North. Textile manufacturing, tobacco-processing, the iron industry and railroad development were all contributing to this new industrialization. Although the industrialization was a good, new idea, it still couldn't compare to the North. Besides that, workers were facing terrible conditions in these new factories and work areas, and black people weren't being helped through it all either. Blacks were very seldom offered the opportunity to work in the factories and new industrial areas. In this new South, tenantry and sharecropping was also coming about. It was the only way a lot of people had the hopes of making any money, which barely occurred. However, by the time farmers paid their landlords for renting everything, there was very little money left. Another huge change in the new South - no slavery. This was probably the largest and newest change, for plantation owners no longer had workers and blacks had to make a life of there own. (This contributed to the sharecropping and tenantry idea.) As for the relations between the blacks and whites, they did change; however, some things did remain the same. Black people were trying to make something for themselves, and some were even trying to change to fit better into white society - as a form of self improvement for themselves. They were able to do so many things that they had been denied in the past once they were free. The biggest change between the whites and blacks was probably the fact that the superior whites couldn’t just beat and harm the black people anytime they felt it was necessary. Regardless, the more things changed, the more they stayed the same. White people still didn’t want the black people to have equal rights. They segregated everything they possibly could, because “as long as everything was equal, things could be separate.” Which, in all reality, nothing was equal. The blacks were again being stripped of their rights and were often falling victim to attacks from lynch mobs. Just like before, white people were trying to put the fear and intimidation back into the former slaves. The Ku Klux Klan was an infamous group that did horrible things to black people they felt did wrong. Even though slavery had been abolished in the South, the racism was only increasing. Some black people stick out that were able to conquer the hate and make something of themselves, like Booker T. Washington, but the vast majority of the population was falling victim to the same treatment as before.
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Kirsten Comstock
1/19/2014 03:32:23 pm
McCall this is a great answer. You did a good job of explaining everything that the question was asking and giving good details. This is very informational. Good job!
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Zane Boerner
1/20/2014 01:49:20 am
This is a great answer and you definitely hit everything. Great job!
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Zane Boerner
1/20/2014 12:40:35 am
The New South began to embrace industrialization which was something that the prewar southerners had disliked about the north. Although industry grew substantially in this region it remained only a small portion of their economy because the wages that were payed to factory workers was around half of what the northern workers were payed. The new south also gave opportunities to the black community which they had neer done before. Although there were very few opportunities there were mill towns where the two races lived together. Slavery was no longer an issue, but it did not stop southerners from pushing for white supremacy through the Jim Crow Laws.
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Megan Chintala
1/20/2014 01:22:41 am
Really liked your answer here Zane. Great information in one answer! Good Job!!
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Megan Chintala
1/20/2014 01:39:51 am
The "New South" was built up with a whole bunch of different things. Whether it be groups, jobs, or even laws. This all started after the Reconstruction occurred and the Civil War was over. "Redeemers" and "Bourbons" were active people who took charge of different things for the "New South." The "Redeemers" brought in merchants, industrialists, railroad developers, and financiers. Theses things consisted of people all over the area. Some from the lower part of the South, some from the upper part, some were even from the North. With this, the industry in the South had expanded dramatically after the Reconstruction. These also had an impact on the economy in the "New South." After the "New South" was established, the whites no longer owned the blacks. Some blacks were now owning their own property, small businesses, or they were becoming some type of profession. Few white Southerners accepted the idea of this new racial equality. So then came the birth of the Jim Crow Laws. Whites pretty much still had some what of some power left over the blacks but not as much anymore in the "New South."
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Anthony Brandt
1/20/2014 02:35:58 am
The "New South" was the name for the newly reestablished South after the Civil war. To form a strong Republican government in the south was he main purpose of the the "New South", but led to the rise of a Democratic government. The Southern Whites believed that the only trustworthy and fairly represented, political organization was the Democratic Party. Another goal of the North for the new South was to industrialize the region. The new relationship between whites and former slaves was that the slaves were no longer property.
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