Ante-Bellum Alabama

Offers insights into important facets of Alabama's ante-bellum history Ante-Bellum Alabama: Town and Country was written to give the reader insight into important facets of Alabama s ante-bellum history. Presented in the form of case studies from the pre-Civil War period, the book deals with a city, a town, a planter s family, rural social life, attitudes concerning race, and Alabama s early agricultural and industrial development. Ante-bellum Alabama s primary interest was agriculture; the chief crop was King Cotton; and most of the people were agriculturalists. Towns and cities came into existence to supply the agricultural needs of the state and to process and distribute farm commodities. Similarly, Alabama s industrial development began with the manufacture of implements for farm use, in response to the state s agricultural needs. Rural-agriculture influences dominated the American scene; and in this respect Alabama was typical of her region as well as of most of the United States.