The modernization of the South
The purpose of this essay is to discuss why the modernization of the South followed a different trajectory as compared to the rest of the US. To be able to discuss this question I will first attempt to define modernization. Modernization is the process of becoming modern, or “getting with the times”, if you will. Some key features with our modern society is that it has become more urban, and more industrialized than it was before.. The vast majority of people are also generally more accepting of gender and race equality. To understand why this process of modernization followed a different trajectory in the South than in the rest of the US, one must look at the differences between the South and the rest of the nation. So, what, exactly, is “The South”? Traditionally, the South is defined as the eleven (former) confederate states, and with Kentucky and Oklahoma as marginal half-members (Campbell, p.165). Despite the South often being perceived as a solid unit, it is important to remember the differences within the South. There are some characteristics that these states share, but also many internal differences
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Slavery was a thing in North America since colonial times, long before there was a United States, beginning as early as 1619 (Boyer, p. 45). As mentioned earlier, the agricultural opportunities in the southern region of North America were well suited for plantations, and by extension slavery. The use of slavery bolstered the southern economy, and it 's not hard to understand that people are reluctant to just give up free labor, especially when you feel that these laborers literally belong to you. This was obviously a huge factor behind the rampant racism the southern states were/are infamous