Agriculture and Industry - (New Encyclopedia of Southern Culture) by Melissa Walker & James C Cobb & Charles Reagan Wilson (Paperback)

About the Book

New Encyclopedia of Southern Culture: Volume 11: Agriculture and Industry

Book Synopsis

Volume 11 of The New Encyclopedia of Southern Culture examines the economic culture of the South by pairing two categories that account for the ways many southerners have made their living. In the antebellum period, the wealth of southern whites came largely from agriculture that relied on the forced labor of enslaved blacks. After Reconstruction, the South became attractive to new industries lured by the region's ongoing commitment to low-wage labor and management-friendly economic policies. Throughout the volume, articles reflect the breadth and variety of southern life, paying particular attention to the region's profound economic transformation in recent decades.

The agricultural section consists of 25 thematic entries that explore issues such as Native American agricultural practices, plantations, and sustainable agriculture. Thirty-eight shorter pieces cover key crops of the region -- from tobacco to Christmas trees -- as well as issues of historic and emerging interest -- from insects and insecticides to migrant labor. The section on industry and commerce contains 13 thematic entries in which contributors address topics such as the economic impact of military bases, resistance to industrialization, and black business. Thirty-six topical entries explore particular industries, such as textiles, timber, automobiles, and banking, as well as individuals -- including Henry W. Grady and Sam M. Walton -- whose ideas and enterprises have helped shape the modern South.

Review Quotes

"Excellent. . . . A volume both handy to consult and enjoyable to read." -- NC Historical Review

"Remarkably well done, a worthwhile endeavor deserving of the praise it is certain to elicit." -- The Alabama Review

"Walker's impressive essay succinctly moves from colonial and antebellum planters, yeomen, and slaves to postwar tenancy, boll weevils, and government programs before concluding with the rise of agribusiness in recent decades. . . . Researchers of southern culture will find this volume a useful starting point." -- West Virginia History

About the Author

Melissa Walker is George Dean Johnson Jr. Professor of History at Converse College. James C. Cobb is B. Phinizy Spalding Distinguished Professor in the History of the American South at the University of Georgia. Charles Reagan Wilson is Kelley Gene Cook Sr. Chair in History and professor of southern studies at the University of Mississippi.