The New South

1. The New South

2. New South GPS SS8H7 The student will evaluate key political, social, and economic changes that occurred in Georgia between 1877 and 1918. a. Evaluate the impact the Bourbon Triumvirate, Henry Grady, International Cotton Exposition, Tom Watson and the Populists, Rebecca Latimer Felton, the 1906 Atlanta Riot, the Leo Frank Case, and the county unit system had on Georgia during this period. b. Analyze how rights were denied to African-Americans through Jim Crow laws, Plessy v. Ferguson, disenfranchisement, and racial violence. c. Explain the roles of Booker T. Washington, W. E. B. DuBois, John and Lugenia Burns Hope, and Alonzo Herndon.

3. Setting the scene… In order to understand the “New” South, one must look at a timeline in order to gain perspective: The American Civil War (1861 - 1865) Reconstruction (1865 – 1870) Redemption Era (1870 – 1880) The New South (1880 – 1900) ? What was that? ? What was that?

4. Setting the scene… In order to understand the “New” South, one must look at a timeline in order to gain perspective: The American Civil War (1861 - 1865) Reconstruction (1865 – 1870) Redemption Era (1870 – 1880) The New South (1880 – 1900) Northern states fought Southern USA versus the CSA and the USA won Rebuilding the south

5. Definitions Redemption Era To redeem is to: • Win back • Free from distress or harm • Help overcome something detrimental • Release from blame or debt • Change for the better (reform) • Repair or restore (Merriam-Webster Dictionary) New South A new version of the south following the Civil War.

6. Redemption Era (1870 – 1880) This period of time in Georgia was focused upon: • Overcoming the hardships of Reconstruction • Rebuilding the economy 3. Democrats taking back over the state government

7. Redemption Era (1870 – 1880) 1. Overcoming the hardships of Reconstruction: • The newly freed slaves from Reconstruction were given the name Freedmen = this means southern farmers are without laborers. • The Convict Lease System was introduced in order to continue to provide cheap labor for farms and factories.

8. Redemption Era (1870 – 1880)1. Overcoming the hardships of Reconstruction The end of slavery created an economic problem for Georgia. Farming is all that Georgians knew but now they would have to figure out a way to pay workers rather than use slaves. Racism was common in this time period which caused Black Codes to be created. - rules and laws restricting the rights of freed African Americans Examples: African Americans worked sunrise to sundown. African Americans could be whipped at their job. Any African American without a job would be imprisoned. African Americans could not testify in court against a white man. **These were unjust! Unfortunately it was not much of a change from the life as a slave. **

9. Redemption Era (1870 – 1880)1. Overcoming the hardships of Reconstruction Many slaves did not leave the plantation that they had belonged to and continued to work their as “paid” laborers. These freedmen were often tricked into a working lifestyle that was much like what they had known as slaves. The two options for freedmen were: Sharecropping A sharecropper was a person who did not own anything of his own. He used someone else’s: • Land • House • Farming equipment (including animals such as oxen) • Fertilizer and seed • Food and clothing At the end of a growing season, the sharecropper paid his land owner by giving him a “share” of his crop. The share cropper often found himself owing the land owner more than he had crop to pay with because he had to pay rent for the land, house, equipment, fertilizer, seed, food and clothing. Sharecroppers usually ended the season in debt to the land owner. Tenant Farming The word tenant means renter or occupant (Merriam-Webster Dictionary) A tenant farmer was a person who did own some items of his own such as farming equipment, fertilizer, and seed. However, a tenant farmer relied on someone else for: • Land • House • Possibly food and clothing At the end of a growing season, the tenant farmer paid his land owner the previously agreed to amount for renting the land. The tenant farmer usually made a small profit at the end of the growing season. That means the tenant farmer might be able to save money and one day own his own land.

10. Redemption Era (1870 – 1880)1. Overcoming the hardships of Reconstruction How can we remember the difference between the two working lifestyles? Sharecropping Tenant Farming

11. Redemption Era (1870 – 1880)1. Overcoming the hardships of Reconstruction How can we remember the difference between the two working lifestyles? Sharecropping Sharecropping often ended in debt = negative The S in Sharecropping can remind you of the S in slavery. Tenant Farming Tenant farmers often ended with a positive amount of money The T in Tenant Farming can remind you of the +

12. Redemption Era (1870 – 1880)1. Overcoming the hardships of Reconstruction The Convict Lease System was created by the General Assembly (Georgia’s legislative branch) as a way to provide workers to large farms and factories. How did this system become common practice? -Many African Americans were imprisoned after slavery was ended. -Georgia prisons were overcrowded. -Allowing people to lease (rent) the prisoners would be cheaper than building a new prisons.

13. Redemption Era (1870 – 1880)1. Overcoming the hardships of Reconstruction Convict Lease System – prisoners were rented by factories -factories provide housing, clothing, food, medical care, and Sundays off -$25,000 would allow for a company to get as many workers as necessary for 1 year -There were no regulations, so some workers were worked until their death.

14. Redemption Era (1870 – 1880)1. Overcoming the hardships of Reconstruction Convict Lease System – prisoners were rented by factories How do you think this system affected: 1. prisons 2. African Americans 3. the average Georgia farmer ????????????????????????????????????????????

15. Redemption Era (1870 – 1880)1. Overcoming the hardships of Reconstruction Prisons were already overcrowded by the number of prisoner from 1868 was multiplied by 10 by 1908!!! African Americans were not given a fair chance to make a living for themselves. They were arrested for minor things such as walking down the street after curfew. Sometimes false accusations were made and they were not allowed to defend themselves for things like stealing from the grocery store. All of this was just to put the freedmen into jail so that they could be rented as slaves. In the end, the average Georgia farmer was also hurt. The labor force was non existent so many farmers had to sell their land and move to the city. They then were cheated out of factory jobs because a prisoner was cheaper than an actual employee. Convict Lease System – prisoners were rented by factories How do you think this system affected: 1. prisons 2. African Americans 3. the average Georgia farmer

16. Redemption Era (1870 – 1880) 2. Rebuilding the economy: $ MONEY $ = Georgia was economically ruined from the Civil War and needed to rebuild the economy. Henry Grady gained the spotlight with his idea of manufacturing (factories) rather than farming only.

17. Redemption Era (1870 – 1880)2. Rebuilding the economy: The beginning of the New South era (1880 – 1900) The idea was to throw off the old agriculture and become industrialized like the north. Georgia planned to use industry to help agriculture= the idea of Henry Grady.

18. Redemption Era (1870 – 1880)2. Rebuilding the economy: The dream of a New South: Henry Grady was the editor of the Atlanta Constitutionand used his job there to communicate his ideas to Georgians: • Build factories using northern investors • Diversify farms • Mine Georgia land

19. Redemption Era (1870 – 1880)2. Rebuilding the economy: Think about it: • How do you get northern investors into Georgia? • What other crops might Georgia grow? • What is there to mine in Georgia?

20. Redemption Era (1870 – 1880)2. Rebuilding the economy: Think about it: • How do you get northern investors into Georgia? • What other crops might Georgia grow? • What is there to mine in Georgia? • Hold a large event to lure them to see what Georgia is doing. • Crops that you can eat: peanuts, corn, wheat, onions, soybeans, forest products • Granite, kaolin, bauxite

21. Redemption Era (1870 – 1880)2. Rebuilding the economy: What detail can you find for each of these: • Hold a large event to lure them to see what Georgia is doing. • Crops that you can eat: peanuts, corn, wheat, onions, soybeans, forest products • Granite, kaolin, bauxite

22. Redemption Era (1870 – 1880)2. Rebuilding the economy: • Georgia held a 3 month long International Cotton Expo to lure $ into the state. • Georgia still farms these items and we have to thank the New South for them! Georgia still produces Naval Stores from the coastal plains’ forests. • Elberton, GA is the Granite Capital of the World! Kaolin is one of Georgia’s most abundant natural resources and can be found all along the fall line. What detail can you find for each of these: • Hold a large event to lure them to see what Georgia is doing. • Crops that you can eat: peanuts, corn, wheat, onions, soybeans, forest products • Granite, kaolin, bauxite

23. Redemption Era (1870 – 1880)2. Rebuilding the economy: • What does it mean that Atlanta would place a stature of Henry Grady in the middle of a major downtown street? Think about it: What does it mean that Atlanta would name a major hospital “GRADY Memorial”?

24. Redemption Era (1870 – 1880)2. Rebuilding the economy: Think about it: What does it mean that Atlanta would name a major hospital “GRADY Memorial”? Although Henry Grady never had anything to do with medicine, it is an honor to have a major building named in your honor. • What does it mean that Atlanta would place a stature of Henry Grady in the middle of a major downtown street? • Grady’s statue stands in Marietta Street, just a block or two from Centennial Olympic Park. This proves his importance to Georgia!

25. Redemption Era (1870 – 1880)2. Rebuilding the economy: • Bragging Rights: Georgia held a 3 month long International Cotton Expo to lure $ into the state. • - 1895 • - 6,000 exhibits showing new machinery • - 3 major companies emerged from the show: • Rich’s Department Store • Coca-Cola • Atlanta Mutual Life Insurance

26. Redemption Era (1870 – 1880) Republicans ruled GA during Reconstruction because the Federal Government was in control of all states who had rebelled. Republicans only existed in northern states because the party had ended slavery. Georgians were not happy under Republican rule. 3. Democrats taking back over the state government: Georgia wanted deliverance from the Northern Republicans= County Unit System put in place to do so. to the rescue = they would make sure that no African Americans could vote (African Americans would vote Republican because that party had ended slavery). KKK

27. County Unit System UNFAIR Elections! Today – each district has approximately the same number of people. That way, each district is equal. THEN – Each district was put into one of three categories. Each of the categories was worth a different portion in the election. The PURPOSE: keep elections in the hands of rural white supremacists!

28. County Unit System • Political INJUSTICE for decades in GA! • Used only in the Primaries (elections before the general elections where you narrow down the candidates for each party) • Democrat party was the only active party in GA • The winner of the Primary would be the winner in the General Election

29. County Unit System • Political INJUSTICE for decades in GA! • Used only in the Primaries • Democrat party was the only active party in GA • The winner of the Primary would be the winner in the General Election

30. County Unit System • Political INJUSTICE for decades in GA! • Used only in the Primaries • Democrat party was the only active party in GA • The winner of the Primary would be the winner in the General Election

31. County Unit System • Political INJUSTICE for decades in GA! • Used only in the Primaries • (define Primary and General Election?) • Democrat party was the only active party in GA • The winner of the Primary would be the winner in the General Election

32. County Unit System • Political INJUSTICE for decades in GA! • Used only in the Primaries • Democrat party was the only active party in GA • The winner of the Primary would be the winner in the General Election

33. County Unit System If you were running for Governor of Georgia during the New South, where would you campaign the most and why?

34. County Unit System If you were running for Governor of Georgia during the New South, where would you campaign the most and why? In order to win the election, one would focus on campaigning in the rural counties. Based on the table, populated counties were only worth 48 votes when the rural areas were worth 242. That means that not everyone’s vote was really worth a vote. It also shows that elections were controlled by rural Georgians who were more likely to be more traditional in the ideas of farming, white supremacy, and little education.

35. County Unit System 2 Major problems: • The governor could be elected WITHOUT a majority of the popular vote. • African Americans were left out! Primaries in GA were called “White Primaries” because only whites were allowed to vote. The ____ Amendment to the US Constitution only said that African Americans should be allowed to vote in General Elections. (just another form of ___________ - stopping people from voting)

36. County Unit System 2 Major problems: • The governor could be elected WITHOUT a majority of the popular vote. • African Americans were left out! Primaries in GA were called “White Primaries” because only whites were allowed to vote. The ____ Amendment to the US Constitution only said that African Americans should be allowed to vote in General Elections. (just another form of ___________ - stopping people from voting)

37. County Unit System 2 Major problems: • The governor could be elected WITHOUT a majority of the popular vote. • African Americans were left out! Primaries in GA were called “White Primaries” because only whites were allowed to vote. The _15_ Amendment to the US Constitution only said that African Americans should be allowed to vote in General Elections. (just another form of disenfranchisement_ - stopping people from voting)

38. Democrat VS Democrat • The dominate party in Georgia was the Democratic Party. • Not every Democrat wanted to do things the same. Georgia had the famous rivalry of the Bourbon Triumvirate VS The Feltons -Brown – Colquitt – Gordon- VS Dr. Felton – Rebecca Latimer Felton

39. The Bourbon Triumvirate • A ruling party of 3 • Favored the concept of a New South • Supported new factories and even owned some Alfred H. Colquitt 1824 - 1894 Joseph E. Brown 1821 – 1894 John B. Gordon 1832 - 1904

40. Timeline of the Bourbons in Power You might describe them as tag teaming in Georgia politics. While one serving in the U.S. Senate or another serving as Governor, it does not appear that they have too much political power. The authority of the Governor is limited. The power that these men had was in INFLUENCE. Money helped that influence, but overall, if one of these men asked that something happen in Georgia politics, it happened. *** The grey Reconstruction period was controlled by the Federal Government (Republican Party).

41. The Bourbon TriumvirateGoals: • Restore the Democratic Party to rule Georgia. *They were willing to do whatever necessary in order to put the Democrats back into control = County Unit System and intimidation by the KKK. • Create stronger ties with the North by getting investors to help spur Georgia factories. • Maintain the old way of White Supremacy = maintain southern tradition by keeping the newly freedmen at the bottom of the social classes.

42. The Bourbon TriumvirateSummary of their impact on Georgia: Positives: • Lowered state taxes • Reduced the state’s war debt • Expanded business and industry Negatives: • Did not improve the lives of the poor • Education suffered • Did not help conditions in prisons and actually made it worse by encouraging the convict lease system • Did not regulate working conditions in the new factories

43. The Feltons Dr. Felton -3 terms as US Congressman -1 term in the Georgia General Assembly -owner of a newspaper • Rebecca Latimer Felton • -suffrage movement • -education for the poor • -prohibition • -anti Convict Lease System • -writer

44. The Feltons Goals of the Feltons: • Expose the Bourbons for the rich, well educated, white men that they were. They continued to work state politics to make themselves wealthier as the average Georgian suffered. • Stand up for the poor and their right to a good education. • End the Convict Lease system and assist African Americans to a fair lifestyle in Georgia.

45. The Feltons • Rebecca Latimer Felton • 1st Female US Senator • She only served one day but it is still in the national record books! Her hard work was rewarded with the honor of being appointed to replace Tom Watson in the US Senate after he passed.

46. Farmers and the Democrats Farmers were left out of the fight between the Bourbons and the Feltons. The Farmers then united in order to fight together. Farmers cooperative Farmers Alliance Populist Party

47. Farmers and the Democrats Farmers were left out of the fight between the Bourbons and the Feltons. The Farmers then united in order to fight together. Farmers cooperative Farmers Alliance Populist Party Farmers work together in order to survive Farmers attempt to create a political force in order to obtain help from the state General Assembly An official political party is created to fight for the rights of the farmers.

48. The Populist Party The Farmer’s Alliance was organized and turned into the Populist Party under the leadership of Tom Watson. The party was often called the People’s party because it stood up for the average people. Tom Watson even ran for President of the US under that party!

49. The Populist Party Goals: • Political equality for all economic classes as well as both races • 8 hour work day in factories • A graduated income tax (you only pay a percentage of what you actually have as in come) • Restricted Government ownership of railroads and telegraph • Reduction of tariffs • Australian Ballot (government created ballots rather than political party created ballots which were always biased)

50. New South Summary Think about it: • How was the New South different from that before the Civil War? • How did the New South create the present day Georgia in which we live? • How did the struggles between the Democrats help or hurt the Democratic party? • Which do you think was more shameful in Georgia’s history: The County Unit System or the Convict Lease System? • How might you link education to the voting practices of Georgians from 1865 to the election of our first Republican governor, Sonny Perdue?