This is a gracefully written narrative of southern history, from Reconstruction to the present. The South Through Time is the most up-to-date, analytical, and stylishly written history of the region available on the market. Comprehensive, interpretive, and inclusive, with much attention given to politics, society, economics, culture, religion, women, and blacks, it offers a discussion of regional variation within the South and broadens its coverage beyond the traditional emphasis on the Atlantic seaboard states. Its comprehensive coverage of the history of the Southern U.S. makes this an appropriate reference work for writers and researchers.
Rich in tradition, the southern portion of the United States has provided the backdrop for some of the most significant historical events in American history. The South Through Time offers an inclusive, interpretative account, providing a comprehensive examination that places in national context major events including Reconstruction and the civil rights movement without neglecting the overall contours of southern history.
John B. Boles synthesizes recent scholarship to present the latest accepted interpretation on topics such as the nature of Reconstruction; the rise of sharecropping; the Populist and Progressive movements; the nadir of race relations; the role of women; economic and industrial change; the Great Depression; the impact of World War II on the South; the civil rights movement; environmental and ecological change in the South; the rise of the Sunbelt; the politics of race and the rise of the Republican Party in the South; and the enigma of the persisting South.
The third edition incorporates the most recent scholarship, contains more illustrative examples, and updates the bibliographical suggestions. As with earlier editions, much attention is given to African Americans, women, agriculture, industrial and urban development, the environment, and the sense of southern distinctiveness, and the overall interpretation emphasizes social and cultural history as well as economic and political history. Written in clear, elegant prose, the book makes accessible to students a sophisticated analysis of the South's history.