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The Mystery of the American South: Do you know how the "Old South" came to be?
Geographically, what the United States calls the "Old South" refers to the southern states that were part of the original thirteen colonies. The terminology for this region is distinguished from the Deep South and the Upper South. Culturally and socially, the term "Old South" was used to describe the predominantly agricultural, slave-dependent social structure of the United States before the Civil War (1861-1865), in contrast to the "New South" that emerged after the Reconstruction era.
Romanticized images of the "Old South" tell of slavery on plantations, as exemplified in the famous work Gone with the Wind.
In the early 20th century, scholar Ulrich Bonnell Phillips made the social structure of the Old South an important research topic. In recent decades, historians have paid more attention to slaves in the South and the social world they created, as well as to subsistence farmers (known as "tillage farmers") who rarely owned property or slaves.
Politics
The Old South once had a vibrant two-party system, with the Wiggins strongest in towns, business communities, and high-end plantation areas, and the slightly more Democratic Party strongest among ordinary farmers and the poor West. After Reconstruction ended, in 1877, black Democrats were mostly disenfranchised, resulting in the Republican Party becoming a tiny presence in the South, mostly in secluded mountain areas. During this period, the region was known as the "Hard South," with Southern states supporting primarily the Democratic Party, a trend that continued until the 1964 presidential election.
Religion
Historians have made detailed studies of religious life in the Old South. Before the American Revolutionary War, the Church of England was established in some areas, especially in Virginia and South Carolina. However, the colonists refused to allow any English bishops, choosing instead to be led by deacons in each church. This approach allows religious communities to become part of local government, dealing with community issues such as welfare, cemeteries and infrastructure.
“Faith becomes a tool for groups to unite, so religion and social issues are very closely linked.”
The First Great Awakening in the 18th century and the Second Great Awakening in the early 19th century had a powerful impact on the region, especially on poor whites and black slaves. This led to the founding of many Methodist and Baptist churches. In the pre-Civil War era, a large number of open-air revival meetings attracted new members and strengthened the faith of existing members. In contrast, in the North, the Renaissance movement brought strong attention to the abolition of slavery, but for the South, this was a taboo subject.
Honors
Historian Bertram Wyatt-Brown emphasizes that a strong sense of honor rooted in European traditions shaped the moral behavior of men in the Old South. Such invisible norms guide family and gender relations and provide structures for social control. A controversial feature of the honor system was the necessity of a duel under strictly defined conditions when a man's honor was questioned by an equal. If your honor is challenged by someone inferior, you only need to strike him down.
“Honor becomes an important element that distinguishes masculinity from effeminacy, and patriarchy from companionate marriage.”
The conflict caused the students to re-examine the honor code and ultimately create a new code of ethics. Because so many talented people lost their lives in duels, anti-dueling organizations began to challenge the honor system.
Old South Days
The city of Ochloeke, Georgia, has celebrated Old South Days every November since 1976. The holiday is designed to honor and reflect on the history of the Old South and its cultural heritage.
The formation of the Old South is an important part of the history of the American South, and every cultural, political, and social factor behind it has paved the way for the South to be what it is today. How do you view the impact of this history on today’s Southern society?
