One South or Many?

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Focusing on Tennessee's agricultural population from 1850 to 1880, this study utilizes extensive census data and historical records to analyze the socioeconomic differences between plantation and nonplantation regions before and after the Civil War. It critiques recent scholarship for oversimplifying distinctions within the South and challenges assumptions about the postbellum economic landscape, particularly regarding the conditions of southern whites and freedmen. This research aims to deepen the understanding of southern diversity and the complexities of agricultural reorganization during this period.