Discovering the "new South"

Reading up about the "new South" I found out that the term itself originated after the Civil War to describe the rise of the South. It was a contrast to the Old South of the plantation period. The new South emerged with an idea of not depending on banned slave labor or the predominant growing of cotton but rather be industrialized and be a part of the rapidly growing American economy. It was a representation of not only the economic boom in the southern US but was also a reminder of the new and emerging ideas of equality.

This New South creed became more of a slogan for various Southern towns and cities, but it wasn't exactly the public relations miracle many elite Southerners hoped it would be. While many Southern states did start to distance themselves from the prejudices and inequalities of the Old South, there were still a number of issues which continued to tarnish the perception of a truly New South. Segregation between blacks and whites was still an active practice, for example. During the tumultuous years of the Civil Rights movement, the claims of a successful New South conversion rang especially hollow. Only after the passage of the Civil Rights Act did many examples of sanctioned segregation fall by the wayside in some Southern states.

There were many people who helped give this idea shape. One of them was Terry Sanford. He was the president of Duke and he gave major new programs in education and economic investment. He also had a major part in influencing progressive southern politics. There is also a documentary called "Terry Sanford and the New South" dedicated to this great man.

The New South has since then taken the South from being farmers and slaves to one of the most happening hubs for industrialization.