1. The South and West Transformed
Chapter 6
The South and West Transformed

2. Section 1 focus Question
How did the southern economy and society change after the Civil War?

3. List
Make a list of 5 ways in which you expect the Southern economy and society to change after the Civil War.

4. “New South”
Many southern white leaders envisioned a modernized economy that included farming, factories, and mills.
Henry Grady
Wants South to use its resources to develop industry

5. New industries spread through south
1880’s – Northern money backs textile factories in GA, NC, and SC
1880’s – Lumber production in NC and VA
1880’s - Investment in coal, iron and steel, make urban centers in Nashville, TN and Birmingham, ALA

6. Farming Becomes more diversified
Increase in grain, tobacco, and fruit crops
Landscape changes as smaller farms replace large plantations

7. Railroads Key component to industrialization is transportation
Southern rail lines expand linking rural southern areas to southern cities,
Yet, by 1880 only two rail lines linked southern freight to northern markets
Texas to Chicago
Tennessee to Washington D.C.

8. Railroads
Southerners lobby Federal government for economic help on railroads
Use prison labor to keep costs down.
Atlanta, Nashville, and Dallas begin to emerge as major cities

9. Recovery Limited Northern economy builds on strong industrial base.
South must first rebuild from the war.
Industry needs three parts to work
Natural resources
Labor
Capital investment
South has plenty of resources. Not a lot of labor or investment

10. Recovery Limited Sustained economic development takes
Well trained workers
South spends less money on education
Few trade or technical schools
Consumers who can spend
Low wages keep skilled workers from moving south
Better wages elsewhere encouraged workers to leave

11. Southern Banks Few southern banks survive the war
Those that do have, fewer assets than Northern banks
Most southern wealth concentrated in the hands of a few people
Poor farmers have no cash to deposit
South depends on Northern banks to start or expand business.
Southern Economy suffered from this lack of labor

12. Farmers Face Hard Times
Pre Civil War farmers concentrate on Cash Crops
Tobacco
Cotton
Post Civil War farmers continue focus on cotton
Price of cotton falls
Huge surplus keeps price low
Boll Weevil
Beatle destroys cotton crops

13. Farmers band together
Farmers begin to organize to negotiate for lower cost supplies
Farmers Alliance
Farmers band together to convince the government to force railroads to lower freight prices. So they can get crops to markets
Wanted government to regulate the interest banks could charge on loans

14. Black Southerners Political and Economic gains Right to vote Education
Supported by federal government and northern philanthropists
Able to buy farm land, invited into farmers alliance

15. White Backlash Life does not change much for most blacks
Some whites focus efforts on reversing gains made by blacks
KKK
Civil Rights Act of 1875
Guarantees black patrons right to ride trains and use public facilities such as hotels
1883 Supreme Court rules that these were local issues, to be decide by local and state laws.
Local southern governments take advantage to limit rights of blacks

16. Section Focus
How did the southern economy and society change after the Civil War?
Some attempt was made to diversify industry by using investment capital from the north; however, southern farmers suffered because of continued dependence on cotton as the main cash crop. African Americans gained access to education, but later their rights were limited by localized segregation and by the terror tactics of groups like the KKK.