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A C K N O W L E D G M E N T S A project of this sort would not be possible without the intellectual, moral, and financial support of many people and institutions. Other scholars took time out of busy schedules to read and critique chapters , friends offered encouragement at critical times, and several institutions came through with research assistance, grants, or jobs. It is indeed a pleasure to thank allwho have contributed directlyand indirectlyto the research and writing of this book. I owe my greatest intellectual debts to Don Harrison Doyle, David Carlton , and Crandall Shifflett. Professor Doyle went beyond the call of duty as the director of the dissertation from which the book has evolved. He not only carefully read very rough drafts of all chapters, but he also patiently responded to the many questions of an overlyanxious graduate student. There were times, I am sure,when he wanted to give the whole thing up. He did not and for that I am deeply grateful. Though Professor Carlton's frank criticism of my arguments often angered me, he forced me to reexamine arguments and to either sharpen them or abandon some that did not work. I have over the years come to appreciate how much he has done to improve this book. Professor Shifflett supervised my initial inquiry into southern labor history when I was a graduate student at Virginia Tech. His ideas about labor and race relations in the South continue to influence my own. More important, he insisted that I was capable enough to make it in this profession. When this work was in its earliest stages, I benefited greatly from the criticism and camaraderie of a number of fellow travelers at Vanderbilt University . Doug Flamming, Robert Hall, Robert Tracy McKenzie, Patricia Miletich, and Mary DeCredico all patiently listened to me as I held forth at meetings of the Southern Social History Group. Since then Doug, Robert, and Tracy have either read parts of this work or listened to it during lengthy phone calls. Larry Eldridge, who was with us at Vanderbilt, read the entire dissertation and provided detailed suggestions about reorganizing and rewriting . He has maintained his interest through every stage of the revision process. Thanks to all of these folks for their help and their friendship. Parts of this book would not exist if not for the gracious cooperation of xi Robert J. Norrell. When I began the project, he had already been working on Birmingham's history for several years. In the true spirit of intellectual endeavor, he shared with me fruits of his labors that were relevant to my own. He then read the results more than once and suggested revisions that have improved the final product. He has also supported me in other aspects of my professional life. Robert Zieger read the manuscript several times for the press and provided detailed recommendations for revision. His insistence upon clarity of purpose helped tremendously. If any portion of this work remains unclear, it is the responsibility of the author alone. Other scholars have contributed to the work more indirectly. Professors Derwyn McElroy and Donald Dodd at Auburn University in Montgomery tried to teach me that thinking was not just an involuntary reflex. J. Mills Thornton conducted a seminar at Vanderbilt that shaped my thinking about the ideology of white supremacy in southern history. Elizabeth Fox-Genovese, after hearing a conference paper I presented, took time from her busy schedule to write me a letter encouraging me to forge ahead at a time when I had profound doubts about the whole enterprise. Since then she has been willing to talk to me at any time about mywork or other issues. George Daniels, chair of the Department of History at the University of South Alabama, has been a wise counsel and has made sure I received the time to complete the manuscript. Leonard Macaluso, a colleague and friend, has spent many hours listening to and criticizing my ideas about social relations . He directed me to a number ofstudies in French working-class history that have influencedseveral of myarguments. His questions about my theoretical assumptions have been enormouslyhelpful. James White, director of creative writing at the University of South Alabama, read several chapters with an eye to clarity of expression. Though it may not always be evident, he has taught me much about clear writing. Lewis Bateman has followed this work since it was only a dissertation prospectus. He has patiently answered any...

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