Southern History

Southern history is very rich and complex. By some it is romanticized and by others it is demonized, but for all it seems to be very significant.

We want to say, up-front, that we are not historians. We simply want to study the past so that we can let it instruct and inspire us. We are grateful to the many others (actual historians) that allow us to do this.

This walk through the South's history isn't perfect, but it's does represent our persepective.

And we found it best to break up Southern history into its most significant eras:

Eras of Southern History

The Revolution

• While the differences between the North and the South were very pronounced, the two sides came together to fight a common enemy and build a new country.

The Antebellum Era

• The South grew in wealth and status as the North trailed Europe in its industrialization. The slave-based cotton industry made the South an attractive trading partner for the competing Northern and European powers.

The “Civil War”

• This fated struggle marks the brief period of Southern independence. While it wasn’t really a civil war, it pitted brother against brother as the South fought for, and lost, its right to be free.

Reconstruction

• This was a period of Southern “punishment.” As many Northerners took advantage of the South, many Southerners grew more and more embittered. As a result, conditions for Black men and women showed no improvement.

Civil Rights

• This turbulent era finally brought some semblance of equality for Southern Blacks. But it did not come without a price. While it brought out the worst from people on both sides, a great many Southern Whites were shown to have character weaknesses.

The Modern Era

• These current times are defined by full industrialization and a globalization that is rapidly dissolving the Southern identity.

While each of these eras marked a major struggle for at least one subgroup of Southerners, it is from these great struggles that heroes are born.

Moving forward intelligently requires fully understanding our past and learning its lessons as best as possible. That means learning we should make an honest effort to understand Southern history.

Knowing where we have been allows us to recognize when we are reading from the correct compass. And the best compass is that which emphasizes passion without compromising character.