New South Creed, The: A Study in Southern Mythmaking

by Paul M. Gaston, Robert J. Norrell (Introduction)

First published in 1970, The New South Creed has lost none of its usefulness to anyone examining the dream of a "New South"—prosperous, powerful, racially harmonious—that developed in the three decades after the Civil War, and the transformation of that dream into widely accepted myths, shielding and perpetuating a conservative, racist society. Many young moderates of the period created a philosophy designed to enrich the region—attempting to both restore the power and prestige and to lay the race question to rest. In spite of these men and their efforts, their dream of a New South joined the Antebellum illusion as a genuine social myth, with a controlling power over the way in which their followers, in both North and South, perceived reality.

Genres: History

312 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 1, 1970

Reviews

[Frederick Widdowson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very important well-sourced scholarly work that sheds a great deal of light on a divisive subject. I appreciated its depth and understanding.