A New History of the American South

by W. Fitzhugh Brundage (Editor), Laura F. Edwards (Edithor), Jon F. Sensbach (Edithor)

For at least two centuries, the South's economy, politics, religion, race relations, fiction, music, foodways and more have figured prominently in nearly all facets of American life. In A New History of the American South, W. Fitzhugh Brundage joins a stellar group of accomplished historians in gracefully weaving a new narrative of Southern history from its ancient past to the present. This groundbreaking work draws on both well-established and new currents in scholarship, including global and Atlantic world history, histories of African diaspora, environmental history, and more. The volume also considers the experiences of all people of the South: Black, white, Indigenous, female, male, poor, elite, and more. Together, the essays compose a seamless, cogent, and engaging work that can be read cover to cover or sampled at leisure.

Contributors are Peter A. Coclanis, Gregory P. Downs, Laura F. Edwards, Robbie Ethridge, Kari Frederickson, Paul Harvey, Kenneth R. Janken, Martha S. Jones, Blair L. M. Kelley, Kate Masur, Michael A. McDonnell, Scott Reynolds Nelson, Jim Rice, Natalie Ring, and Jon F. Sensbach.

Genres: History, American History, Nonfiction

616 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 2, 2023

About the author

William Fitzhugh Brundage (born 1961) is an American historian, and William B. Umstead Professor of History, at University of North Carolina. He graduated from the University of Chicago, and from Harvard University with an MA and Ph.D, in 1988. Prior to taking up his current position at the University of North Carolina, he taught at Queen's University, and University of Florida.

Reviews

[LaShanda Chamberlain · Rating 5 out of 5]

"A New History of the American South” is a captivating collection of scholarly essays that explore the region's diverse and rich history. As a product of the South, (I was born & raised on the Mississippi Gulf Coast), I've always been deeply intrigued by its past. Each exploration of its history reveals new and captivating insights.

The book is a wealth of knowledge, featuring fifteen well-crafted essays that span the South's history from pre-colonial times to the present. Organized into three sections—the pre-Revolution era, the transformative nineteenth century, and the influential twentieth century, including the pivotal Civil Rights movement—it offers detailed insights and analysis on a variety of topics.

Highlighting the significant impact of Black history on American history, challenging myths about the Lost Cause, and emphasizing the contributions of Native American cultures, the book is authored by a diverse and respected group of historians. Accessible and compelling for both scholars and general readers, it provides a comprehensive view of the intricate history of the American South.

Every page guides readers through time, uncovering the complex layers of the South’s history. The essays are enlightening and thought-provoking, fostering a deeper appreciation for the region’s enduring legacy. Whether you're a historian, student, or simply interested in the history of the American South, this book promises a rewarding and enriching experience.

A huge thanks to NetGalley for this ARC. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am sharing this review voluntarily.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book’s preface puts forth the premise that neither a time period nor a geographic region exist in a vacuum. Historical events exist in a constantly changing dynamic of contexts, while geography is a complex interplay of boundaries and socioeconomic conditions. That established, the book presents a series of essays establishing that Southern U.S. history is U.S. history, both politically and culturally.

For the most part, these essays are a dry, straight forward telling of historical facts, but much of it is history we didn’t learn in school, especially if we weren’t schooled in the American South. The broad strokes we know - Colonialism, Slavery, Civil War, Jim Crow, Civil Rights - but the essays present more detailed studies of specific events that illustrate the influence of Southern dynamics on U.S. history.

The essays also include a unique focus on gender as a tool of White Supremacy. From a colonial era change in laws to base legal status on maternity rather than paternity (The British custom) to address the “problem” of mixed raced children of white fathers suing for freedom based on British law, giving white women their first real legal power at the expense of Black and Indigenous women, to the role of wealthy white women in the plantation South, to the alliance between Suffragettes and white supremacists to contextualize “votes for women” as a race issue.

Racial injustice is the overarching theme of the essays presented here, as is the history of the South, but the essays also highlight the influence of Southern and specifically Southern Black culture on wider U.S. pop culture, the influence of Southern race relations on U.S. politics from the nation’s founding through today, detailing the morphing of the “Dixiecrats” into the modern day Republican Party, the linear relationship of slavery to mass incarceration, and the origins of voter suppression and gerrymandering to current political dynamics.

[Em · Rating 5 out of 5]

A New History of the American South covers so much historical, political, and artistic ground that it feels impossible for me to give this book a thorough review. This incredible volume on the history of the South is a collaborative effort between editors to tell the history of the region relevant for the 21st century. This volume is both a history book and a narrative of the South that provides a thorough analysis of historical actors and political movements over time. Dating back to the 1600s, the writers share a broad overview of the history of neighboring slave states and provide a post-Civil war evolutionary understanding of the South and the ways the South became known in the 20th century.

I was so glad that the editors made note of the contributions of one of my favorite historians and interdisciplinary scholars, Imani Perry, while paying particular attention to South to America (2022) in which she provides her own history of the region including personal reflections. In A New History of the American South there is extensive documentary evidence, stories, names, and accounts shared as well as references to important Indigenous origin stories from the region (including Choctaw and Chickasaw origin narratives) and more.

This volume also answers many questions that scholars have analyzed throughout the years such as:

1. Was the idea of race a cause or consequence of slavery?
2. How did Christian theorists contribute to this notion of race?
3. How did North Carolina and South Carolina apply the principles of the Declaration of Independence to political relationships at home and what set these States apart?

If you are someone interested in learning more about the South and the tales of west-to east migrations via a Southern lens, this is a great book to read to gain a rich understanding.

[J Earl · Rating 5 out of 5]

A New History of the American South, edited by W Fitzhugh Brundage with Laura F Edwards and Jon F Sensbach, is a surprisingly coherent narrative told through 15 essays.

One advantage of having multiple historians each writing an essay on a specific time and perspective is the expertise each can bring to their specialization. While the writing styles are, as expected, varied they still manage to contribute to a nice overall history. This also allows a reader to read from cover to cover to gain a long view or to select specific essays that speak to their areas of interest. For the purpose of this review, I read straight through. While I am glad I did, I am probably one of those people who would have read select essays at first then gone back at some point to read the rest. And I think either approach would work well.

While this is an academic work, it is also quite accessible for any reader with an interest in southern history. Because of the chapters being self-contained essays, picking and choosing ones to read doesn't leave a reader wondering if they might have missed something in a previous chapter, as is often the case when picking a chapter out of a single author history.

This will certainly be of interest to historians who teach or research in the area. I also think this will be an excellent book for the informal history buffs who like to keep abreast of contemporary perspectives. I now fall more into the second category, and I anticipate revisiting a few of the essays in the future.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, I thought this was a great book. The essays provided a new and interesting angle on Southern history. The book focuses on the outliers or the parts of southern life and culture that don’t normally take center stage, and because of that it is a book that people with varying levels of knowledge about the South would benefit from reading. I was a bit surprised that an academic book published in 2023 contained multiple essays where Native Americans were referred to as Indians. Other than that, I thought the book was really strong.

[Russell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Impeccably researched and written, this book is a collection of long essays covering different historical periods of the American South, from the prehistory of Native Americans, through colonization and conquest by Spain, England, and France, the Revolutionary era, the Civil War, on through the twentieth century. After reading closely the chapters up to the Civil War, I decided it's just more than I wanted to read, so I went into heavy skim mode through the rest of the book. This is my fault, not that of the authors - it's just not what I'm looking for right now.

[Kendra · Rating 5 out of 5]

A solid collection of essays that question historiographies of the "South," offering new ideas and interpretations of the region, it's nebulousness, and how we address its problems and strengths. This is a much-needed book particularly for students and newcomers to the field, and provides a wealth of approaches and points of view.