The American South, 1865-1980

Overview

The outcome of the Civil War sealed the destruction of slavery and raised hopes among African Americans and others of a new,more egalitarian social order in the American South. After a promising start in the immediate aftermath of the War,those hopes were crushed beneath the weight of racial reaction and the demands of the region's new industrial order,leaving ordinary southerners of both races languishing amidst intense poverty and racial violence. In this module we will attempt to understand both the remarkable resilience of racial divisions in the American South and the periodic attempts on the part of black and white southerners to challenge regional "tradition".

Learning Objectives

To explore and understand the consequences of the ending of slavery in the American South.

Skills

An ability to analyse orally and on paper, the complex issues of race in the context of the American South.

Assessment

None