How Did The South Influence The Industrial Growth Of Chattanooga

The states that separated the North from the South served as a gateway for industrial revolution. Both the North and the South had many provincial differences, and perhaps nowhere was more uniquely defined than Chattanooga, TN. Chattanooga served as the “new beginning for men” of the South. The industrial growth of Chattanooga grew steadily. The expansion of Chattanooga started from small trading posts on the Tennessee River and grew a vital rail link in the area by the 1860s. These factors influenced the Union army and led to the Union troops to seize the city in 1863. Post-Civil War, Northerners and Yankees took control of the city of Chattanooga economically and by government power. They helped form the town’s racial, social, and political

For at least two generations after the American Civil War the South remained predominantly agricultural and largely outside the industrial expansion of the national economy. One exception was the development of the iron and steel industry among the southern states.

After the Civil War, many Union soldiers returned to The South. Why? The South had a promising future for the Northern “Carpetbaggers”. Many were eager to put the war behind them and work to gain fortune during the Second Reconstruction era. The term Carpetbagger was used among White Southern Americans describing the Northern Entrepreneurs. Southern whites, who held political positions were terrified of losing their traditional way of life. The Southern Democratic Party used the term as a form of propaganda to convince other Southerners that the Republican Party were ruining their traditional

Roane County has access to the Tennessee River which made it possible for barges to float for shipping purposes. It was a promising destination for John Thomas Wilder. Like many, he found that Rockwood County possessed a four-foot-thick-iron ore. This made the Northern industrialists pleased because Rockwood had deposits of coal and iron that would create a booming businesses. In 1867, the Roane Iron works was created by Wilder and two of his associates. The reason for its creation was to house the first ever Southern furnace, just south of the Ohio. Also, it would use mineral coal to produce iron. The furnace would soon benefit the booming start of the little town Rockwood. William Moore wrote that, “Paternalism hindered the benevolent South.” The Northern carpetbaggers started from scratch. They were building their company up the same time the town was coming alive. The problem was, the town was completely ran by Roane Iron. The economic standpoint was suffering from the lack of diversity. Thus, the Pig Iron industry of the Reconstructed South flourished through several Southern States. For examples, cities like Birmingham, Alabama, and Chattanooga, Tennessee all shared similar upbringings which lead to their thriving growth in business