The New South

Economic Diversification

After the Civil War many people blamed King Cotton for making them vulnerable to the Union's advances, so they changed their ways. They turned to industrialization and planted more new crops which helped them, as well as the North, tremendously. 

Political Changes

 After the Civil War the Confederation was no more so the South turned to the leaders within their community, called the Redeemers. The Redeemers were mostly Democrats and many won office in the House of Representatives and Senate. They preached of racism and wanted to regain their white dominance over the blanks, yet they formed many colleges, including a black college.

Race Relations in the New South

While the blacks and whites may have lived in peace in the South the whites still have dominance over the blacks. Blacks did not have equality and many of them had to become servants to their white landlords who made it impossible for them to pay their rent. The Redeemers could not disenfranchise blacks so they did things like developing literacy tests to make it hard for most blacks to vote. The Mississippi Plan helped to qualify more white voters. The Plessy vs. Ferguson Case tested the segregation laws.

Compromise of 1877

In 1865, the thirteenth amendment abolished slavery and twelve years later the Compromise of 1877 forced slaves back into slavery. The presidential election of 1876 was between Rutherford B. Hayes and Samuel Tilden. Rutherford B. Hayes was elected and more power went to the bankers and the industrialists causing much violence from the Ku Kulx Klan.