In the introduction to his book, The American South, author Charles Reagan Wilson writes, the “American South has a dramatic history that has made it a distinctive place on the world stage, one with continuing significance into the twenty-first century… The American South has long evoked powerful imaginative responses to these experiences, making it well known around the world through films, literature, and music.. The cultures that took root in the South grew out of the physiographic locales and ecologies and the differing ethnic backgrounds of people who shaped the land and its human societies.” It is clear through this introductory thesis that Wilson hopes to write a book about both Southern history and culture. In your opinion, how successful is he? Does he present a clear and accurate depiction of Southern culture? What evidence does he use to support his argument? Based on his research, how would you define “Southern culture?”
