Transcript The New South - Eighth Grade Georgia Studies

The New South
SS8H7: Student will evaluate key political, social, and
economic changes that occurred in Georgia between 18771918
a)
Evaluate the impact of the Bourbon Triumvirate, Henry Grady,
International Cotton States Exposition, Tom Watson and the
Populists, Rebecca Latimer Felton, the 1906 Atlanta Riot, the
Leo Frank case, and the [effect that] the county unit system had
on Georgia during this period.
Bourbon Triumvirate
John Gordon
Alfred Colquitt
Joseph Brown
 Redemption Era : period after Reconstruction and before the “New South”

Redeem the state from the hardships of Reconstruction (i.e.…The Republican Party)
 The Bourbon Triumvirate: Joseph Brown, Alfred Colquitt, and John Gordon


Democrats who wanted stronger economic ties with northern industry but maintain “old
South traditions” (White Supremacy)
The three men dominated Georgia politics for a quarter century
The Bourbon Triumvirate
• Democrats controlled Georgia’s government after
Reconstruction.
• Powerful Democratic leaders, known as the “Bourbon
Triumvirate” were Joseph E. Brown, Alfred H. Colquitt, and
John B. Gordon.
• Their goals were:
– expand Georgia’s economy and ties with industries in the
North;
– maintain the tradition of white supremacy.
Joseph Brown
 Opened law office in Canton, GA
 State senator
 Judge
 N. Georgia farmer
Governor Joseph Brown
 1857: elected governor
 State’s rights activist
 Remained until June 1865—lost popularity
by asking Georgians to go along with Rad.
Repub. Policies, believing it would shorten
Reconstruction
Alfred Colquitt
 Princeton Law School
 State congressman
 Served at Georgia’s secession
convention
 Maj. Gen. in Confederate
Army
Alfred Colquitt
 1876: elected Governor
 State debt reduced
 New state constitution (1877)
John B. Gordon
 Lt. Gen. in Confederate Army
 US Senator from GA: 1872-1880
Resigned 1880 (scandal)
Gov. Colquitt appointed Joseph E. Brown to fill his place
Revolters within his own party (Democrat) felt that a corrupt deal
had been struck
 Rebecca Latimer Felton was critical of his involvement



 Contributed to the Compromise of 1877—gave Rutherford B.
Hayes the presidency in exchange for the removal of Federal
troops from the South
Lt. Gen. John B. Gordon  Manager of coal mine
 Rumored Head of Georgia’s KKK during Reconstruction
 1886: elected Governor
 Brought new industry to Georgia
The Bourbon Triumvirate
group of three (Brown, Colquitt, Gordon)—
wanted to strengthen economic ties with the North, while keeping white supremacy
* considered old Southern traditions
Successes
 State taxes lowered
 State war debts reduced
 Business and industry
expanded
Failures
 Did not improve lives of
poor
 Education suffered
 Did not reform prisons
 Poor working conditions in
factories
Decline of the Bourbon Triumvirate
• “Independent Democrats” criticized the Bourbons for
not attending to the needs of the poor or improve
education and working conditions in factories.
• Leaders William and Rebecca Felton worked to
improve conditions for poor Georgians using
newspapers to highlight problems in the state.
• The convict lease system “rented” prisoners to
companies to use as workers. It took many years for
the poor conditions the prisoners endured to be
brought to light and changed.
The New South Era
• Challengers to the Bourbon Triumvirate wanted
Georgia to be more industrialized.
• Henry Grady was a speaker and newspaper
editor.
• Grady described Georgia as a place which could
have competitive industry and more efficient
farming.
• Grady envisioned improved race relations in a
“New South” which left its antebellum past behind.
“The New South”
Henry W. Grady
 New South: A phrase
used to describe
southern progress in
the late 1800s…
Industry!
 Henry W. Grady: first to
use the phrase…editor
for the Atlanta
Constitution
Example of Georgia Industry
Henry Grady: “Voice of the New South”
 1880: became managing editor of the Atlanta
Constitution
 Known for his controversial editorials
 Visited northern cities and spoke about the “New South”
 Southern economy was growing as agriculture was
replaced by industry (textile mills, coal mining, tobacco
factories)
 Pointed out that race relations had improved (had they?)
 Ability to sell the New South brought jobs, recognition, and
investments to GA economy
 Principal planner for 1881 International Cotton
Exposition
 Increased circulation of Atlanta Constitution from 10,000
to 140,000 (used interview process)
 Died in 1889 at 39
Georgia’s Granges
 Grange: Groups of Southern sharecroppers, tenant farmers, and
farmers with small plots of land
 Faced growing debts
 Could not feed/clothe their families
 Could not pay their debts to merchants/landowners
 1872: Georgia’s Granges become political (Along with others in the
South and Midwest).
 Applied political pressure (lobbying) to state legislature and forced
the formation of a State Department of Agriculture (1st in the
nation)
 Established Grange-owned stores and cotton gins to reduce
costs for farmers
The National Grange
 Helped establish that farmers wanted to improve their lives
Henry Grady
statue in 1891
Henry Grady
statue in 1951
Henry Grady
statue in 2008
The Farmers’ Alliance
 Farmers’ Alliance: began as social organizations in the
Northwest and the South.
 Formed co-ops: purchased goods and equipment directly from
producers and sold to farmers at wholesale prices -cost of
production (No taxes).
 Called for more U.S. production of paper money
 Higher credit limits to farmers
The Populist Movement
Rose from farmers and workers who were becoming tired, poor, and
discouraged!
 The Grange: name used for the “Patrons of Husbandry”, a group organized
to allow social gatherings where farmers could talk about common problems.
 Early 1870s prices began to drop
 Banks not lending as much money to farmers
The Populist Party
The Farmers’ Alliance joined with labor organizations
(unions) to form this new political party.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Platform:
8 hour workday
Gov’t ownership of railroad, telephone, and
telegraph
Graduated federal income tax
Direct election of U.S. Senators
Restriction of immigration
Use of Australian Ballot:
James B. Weaver
Ballot printed by gov’t, distributed at voting
places, and collected in secret sealed boxes.
1892 Election: Democrat Grover Cleveland
won…Populist candidate: James B. Weaver
White and black farmers
Tom Watson
 Georgia’s best known Populist.
 1882: elected to Georgia General Assembly
 1890: elected to Congress with backing of
Farmers’ Alliance
 Introduced the Rural Free Delivery Bill
(RFD): required the postmaster general to find
a way to deliver mail to rural homes free of
charge
 Created a boom in the building of roads,
bridges, and other improvements needed for
the delivery to rural areas.
Tom Watson, Populist
 1896: ran as vice-president under William
Jennings Bryant (Lost)
Rebecca Felton
 A leader towards suffrage-votes, particularly for women.
 Pushed for temperance-anti-alcohol
 Popular writer for the “Atlanta Constitution”

Used paper as a forum (Way to communicate ideas…TV, paper, radio,
speech…)
 Began Georgia Training School for Girls in Atlanta

With Margaret Olivia Slocum Sage
 First female U.S. Senator in nation’s history

Replaced another Senator due to death (24 hours)
Rebecca and William Felton
 Roots of Populist Movement
 Led a group of independent
Democrats against the
Triumvirate
 From Cartersville
Rebecca Latimer Felton
William Felton:
 U.S. Congressman; served in GA
General Assembly
 Worked to improve education,
prison reform, and paved the
way for controls and limits on
alcohol.
Picture of 1930 Prohibition
Industrial Revolution
 New inventions and leaps forward in technology
 The rise of the factory and industry
 Assembly Line
 Poor, difficult and dangerous working conditions (Laissez-faire)
 Rise of the City (Urban)
 Labor Organizations: Unions
 Worked for the improvement of safety and working conditions in the work
place.
 Religious and Charitable (Philanthropic) organizations came to the
aid of workers and child laborers.
The Progressive Movement
Goal: Progress!
Society
Business
Government
•fight poverty
•break up large
•greater voice of
•improve working
corporations
“the people”
conditions
•regulate businesses •more voters
•votes for women
•decrease corporate •did not seek to
•prison reform
•outlaw alcohol
power in government increase
participation of
blacks in elections