The American South

The South is a geographic region of the United States, made up mainly of states that seceded from the Union including the Carolinas, Georgia, Virginia, Alabama, and Texas. Dixie, a term used during the American Civil War, is sometimes used to describe the region. The slave trade was a large part of the Old Confederacy as free labor for picking crops was a large part of the economy.

The South was also home to many Native Americans and settlers from a variety of European countries as those with English, Scottish, Irish, French, and Spanish ancestry settled in the region. The variety of cultures in the South influenced the food, literature, music, and identity of the region.

A number of important battles took place in the South. Slaves and Colonists fought for freedom during the American Revolution. After the South seceded from the Union, major battles of the Civil War were fought on Southern soil.

The South will always be remembered for the Jim Crow laws that restricted the freedom of African Americans after they gained their freedom, and as the home of the Civil Rights movement. Influential blacks such as Martin Luther King Jr., rallied for freedom in the region and the Montgomery Bus Boycott event occurred in the South.

The foods of the South have a history dating back to the interactions between Native Americans and the pilgrims. The pilgrims taught the Native Americans how to use corn and beans. Europeans introduced chicken and cattle, while slave traders bought back okra, peanuts, and yam from Africa to provide to slaves. Popular Southern cuisine includes the Creole dishes from New Orleans, which is a soul food associated with African Americans. Barbeque, grits, biscuits, fried chicken, and sweet tea are regional favorites.

The literature of the South was created by those who lived there, the distinction of Southern literature can be found in the regional dialects used, the focus on community, family, religion, and morality. Southern literature often recounted the events of history. Female southern writers included Pulitzer Prize winners Margaret Mitchell, author of Gone with the Wind and Harper Lee author of To Kill a Mockingbird. African American writers, including Alice Walker and Zora Neale Hurston, achieved international success with their unique Southern stories that blended family and history. Arguably, the most famous Southern writers are William Faulkner and Mark Twain.

Today the South is increasingly modernized and boasts the largest percentage of the nation's population. The area is home to varied races and religions, though they are all still linked by their unique Southern experience.  

Southern Literature