Populism to Progressivism in Alabama

WINNER OF THE ALBERT J. BEVERIDGE AWARD OF THE AMERICAN HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION

A classic study of race, reform, and political change in the New South.

Populism to Progressivism in Alabama by Sheldon Hackney is a landmark study of the political and social transformation of Alabama during the pivotal years between 1890 and 1910. Widely recognized as a classic work of Southern history, the book examines the rise of the Populist movement, the emergence of Progressive reform, and the forces that reshaped political power in the state at the turn of the twentieth century.

Hackney explores the complex relationships among race, class, economic change, agrarian protest, and democratic participation. He investigates how farmers, laborers, political leaders, and reformers responded to industrialization, shifting economic conditions, and the challenges of governance in the New South. Central to the narrative are debates over voting rights, disfranchisement, race relations, and the creation of new political institutions that would shape Alabama's future for generations.

Combining quantitative methods with traditional historical scholarship, Hackney provides a nuanced interpretation of both Populism and Progressivism, challenging simplistic accounts of reform and political change. Essential reading for understanding Alabama and the modern South, this influential volume remains a foundational resource for historians, political scientists, students, and anyone interested in the history of American democracy and regional transformation.

Sheldon Hackney is a native Alabamian. A student of C. Vann Woodward at Yale, Hackney taught at Princeton University, served as president of Tulane University (1975-1980) and the University of Pennsylvania (1981-1993). In 1993 he was appointed by President Clinton as chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities where he served until 1997. After his NEH service he returned to the University of Pennsylvania as Boies professor of United States history.