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Accounting for the Rise of Segregation in the American South. In this essay, the history of post-Civil War slavery is described in relation to political and economic changes that altered the traditional structures of American southern societies. While slavery was officially abolished, the fundamental beliefs about the role of the African American in "white" society remained entrenched in Southern communities. This paper describes how racial segregation has developed in the American South from mid-19th century efforts to restructure the relations of (former) African American slaves in contexts of agricultural changes, economic demands, and deeply-seated beliefs about racial superiority. In some ways, the abolition of slavery can be seen as producing an alternate system of racist oppressions that persist to this day in the American South. 15 pgs. 19 sources.
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