A New History of the American South

By: Edward L. Ayers, The Great Courses

Narrated by: Edward L. Ayers

To know the history of the American South, within its own context, is to come to terms with one of modern history’s most astonishing, polarizing, and illuminating stories. In these 24 lectures, you’ll relive the unforgettable drama of the South, from the rise and fall of the slave South to the making of the New South, examining the full scope of a historical epoch that still affects life in the United States today, through essential topics such as:

The Forging of the Slave South - Follow the settling of the Southern colonies and the economic conditions that made slavery a profitable business model; see how the slave economy expanded following the American Revolution

Southern Prosperity and Culture - Witness the creation of the large-scale cotton economy that emblemized the South; learn how the enslaved lived and worked and the ways in which slaves rebelled against a dehumanizing system

Breakdown of the Union - Examine the events that marked the disintegrating relations between North and South, from the emancipation of the Northern states to the divisive presidential election of 1860

Emancipation and the Experiment of Reconstruction - Relive the era of Reconstruction and the bitter conflict between the North’s efforts to remake the South and white Southerners’ actions to reassert their prewar power

Segregation and the New South - Observe how political and legal means were employed to separate the races and maintain white supremacy; explore how the New South gave rise to religious and musical expression of globe-spanning impact

In A New History of the American South, you’ll take a richly detailed excursion into the story and the enduring legacy of the South, in a historical inquiry unique in its scope. In Professor Ayers’s words, “We cannot understand the United States if we do not understand the South, which has played such an outsized role in the history of our country.”

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2018 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)2018 The Great Courses

Outstanding primer on Southern history

Excellent look at the history of the South. Narrator speaks smoothly and has lots of excitement for the subject. While this is very helpful, it doesn't cover much past 1900.

Overall a decent lecture

Would recommend this for listening. Narrator was excellent. Last few chapters were boring. The beginning and core of the course was very good.

Good overview of the South

Ayers is truly excellent, and the course is well researched and beautifully articulated from the early southern colonies to 1900, well worth it for beginners

Excellent writing!

I was really impressed by the level of analysis in this story! Exploring both myth and reality in a revised telling of Southern history in the US

Good information.

Narration: occasionally, ends of sentences cramped, not easy to understand. Almost too soft a voice doesn’t help.

Content is interesting, informative, and comprehensive. Author makes successful effort to be even handed. Surprisingly (for me), southern culture was more sophisticated and variegated than I previously believed.