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.