Thursday, January 21, 2010

Was Urbanization Crucial to Southern Life After the Civil War?

Urbanization was necessary for the South to recover following the Civil War. The New South could no longer rely on "King Cotton" to sustain it economy. Foreign markets, such as Great Britain, had found other sources of cotton during the Civil War. Also, cotton grower overproduced cotton after the Civil War causing the price to drop drastically. While cash crops became a less reliable industry, the South saw booms in the textile, railroad and iron industries. Entrepreneurs from the North were also more likely to invest in these industries as the South continued to recover during Reconstruction.

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