The New South

The New South While the West was being “won,” the South was recovering from the devastation of the Civil War Many in the South began to argue for modern capitalist values, industrial growth, improved transportation Local governments started offering tax exemptions to investors and promised employers low-wage labor Growth of cities, textile industries, and improved railroads symbolized efforts to create a “New South” in the late 19th Century South’s rate of postwar growth from 1865 to 1900 equaled or surpassed the rest of the country in population, industry, and railroads

Continued Poverty Despite progress and growth, the South remained a largely agricultural section and still the poorest region in the country To an even greater extent after the war, northern financing dominated the southern economy Northern investors controlled ¾ of the railroads and controlled the South’s steel industry as well Large share of these profits went to the northern banks and financiers Southern industrial workers earned half the national average, worked longer hours than elsewhere Most southerners (black and white) remained in traditional roles as sharecroppers and farmers

Continued Poverty Two other factors chiefly responsible for southern poverty: South’s late start to industrialization Poorly educated workforce Only a small number of southerners had the technological skills needed for industrial development South had failed to invest in technical and engineering schools Political leadership in the South provided little support for the education of poor whites or blacks Without adequate education, the southern workforce faced limited economic opportunities

Agriculture South’s postwar economy remained tied mainly to growing cotton Number of acres planted in cotton nearly doubled Surplus of cotton on world markets caused cotton prices to decline by 50% in the 1890s Per capita in the South dropped, many lost their farms and homes 1900- more than half of white farmers and ¾ of black farmers were sharecroppers

Agriculture Some farmers sought to diversify their crops to escape the dependence on cotton George Washington Carver promoted the growth of peanuts, sweet potatoes, soybeans Important role in shifting southern agriculture toward a more diversified base

Agriculture Most small farmers remained in the cycle of debt and poverty 1890- Farmers Southern Alliance claimed 1 million members Colored Farmers’ National Alliance had about 250,000 Rallied behind political reforms to solve farmers’ economic problems Economic interests of upper class and powerful racial attitudes of whites prevented any real progress

Segregation End of Reconstruction- North withdrew its protection of freedmen, left southerners to work out solutions to their own economic and social problems Southern Democrats back in power got their support from two groups: Business community and white supremacists Both groups favored policies of segregating public facilities to treat African Americans as inferior Dems could exert political power by playing on the racial fears of whites

Discrimination & The Supreme Court Late 1870s- Supreme Court begins striking down one Reconstruction act after another Civil Rights Cases of 1883- Supreme Court ruled Congress could not legislature against the racial discrimination practiced by private citizens Railroads, hotels, or other businesses used by the public 1896- Plessy v. Ferguson upheld a Louisiana law requiring “separate but equal accommodations” for passengers on railroads Court ruled the law did not violate 14th Amendment Federal court decisions supported a wave of segregation laws, known as Jim Crow Segregated washrooms, drinking fountains, park benches, and other facilities in virtually all public places

Loss of Civil Rights Other laws resulted in disfranchisement of black voters by 1900 Various political and legal devices were invented to prevent southern blacks from voting Literacy tests Poll taxes Primaries held for whites only Grandfather clauses Supreme Court upheld these tests as valid for determining voter qualification

Loss of Civil Rights African Americans were barred from serving on juries Often given stiffer penalties than whites for the same crimes committed Lynch mobs killed more than 1,400 men in the 1890s Economic discrimination kept African Americans out of skilled trades and factory jobs Remained engaged in farming and low-paying domestic work while whites and immigrants learned the industrial skills to help them rise to the middle class

Responding to Segregation Many African Americans responded with confrontation Ida B. Wells, editor of a black newspaper, campaigned against lynching Death threats and destruction of her printing press forced Wells to continue her work in the North

Responding to Segregation Booker T. Washington advocated African Americans to accommodate their oppression Established industrial and agriculture schools for African Americans in Tuskegee, Alabama Helped African Americans learn skilled trades while Washington preached the values of hard work, moderation, and self-help Earning money was like having “a little green ballot” that would empower African Americans more than a political ballot Emphasis on racial harmony and economic cooperation received praise from many whites

Responding to Segregation Some civil rights leaders had mixed reaction to Washington’s approach Criticized him as too willing to accept discrimination W.E.B. Du Bois would demand an end to the segregation and the granting of equal rights to all Americans Argued political and social rights were a prerequisite for economic independence

? Despite progress and growth, what FOUR major factors contributed to the South remaining the poorest region in the country after the Civil War? What was George Washington Carver’s major contribution to agriculture? Southern Democrats were supported by which two voter bases? What types of policies did these groups favor? What was the significance of the decision in Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)? List the various political and legal devices used to prevent southern blacks from voting.