6.4 - The “New South”

Growth of Industry

The South experienced some industrial growth after the Civil War, symbolized by the rise of cities like Birmingham, Alabama, as a steel producer, Memphis, Tennessee, as a lumber center, and Richmond, Virginia, as a tobacco industry hub. Despite these developments, the Southern economy remained largely under Northern control, with profits often flowing out of the region. Additionally, the lack of investment in education and technical training limited the South's ability to fully industrialize.

Agriculture and Poverty

The South remained predominantly agricultural, with most Black farmers working as sharecroppers or tenant farmers. This system kept them in a cycle of debt and poverty, as they had to pay for the use of land with a share of their crops. Cotton continued to dominate the Southern economy, but overproduction led to a steep decline in prices, further impoverishing farmers. Efforts to diversify agriculture, such as those promoted by George Washington Carver at Tuskegee Institute, aimed to introduce new crops like peanuts and sweet potatoes.

Segregation

Introduction: After Reconstruction ended in 1877, Southern states enacted segregation laws, and White supremacist groups sought to limit the rights of African Americans.

Discrimination and the Supreme Court: In the Civil Rights Cases of 1883, the Supreme Court ruled that Congress could not prohibit racial discrimination by private citizens and businesses. The Plessy v. Ferguson decision in 1896 upheld "separate but equal" accommodations, legally endorsing segregation. This led to the widespread implementation of Jim Crow laws, which supported racial segregation in public facilities across the South.

Loss of Civil Rights: Southern states disenfranchised Black voters through literacy tests, poll taxes, and White-only primaries. The use of grandfather clauses allowed only those whose grandfathers had voted before Reconstruction to vote, effectively excluding Black citizens. Economic discrimination and violence, including lynchings, further oppressed African Americans.

Responses to Segregation

Booker T. Washington: Washington, born into slavery, advocated for economic self-help and vocational training for African Americans. He founded the Tuskegee Institute and promoted the idea that economic success would eventually lead to civil rights. His "Atlanta Compromise" suggested that African Americans should focus on vocational skills and economic gains, rather than immediate social equality, to earn White support.

W. E. B. Du Bois: In contrast, Du Bois argued for immediate civil rights and higher education for African Americans. He criticized Washington's approach as too accommodating to segregation and discrimination, advocating instead for political activism and the pursuit of social equality.