New Men, New Cities, New South: Atlanta, Nashville, Charleston, Mobile, 1860-1910 (review)

Southeastern Geographer Vol. 30, No. 2, November 1990, pp. 140-145 REVIEWS New Men, New Cities, New South: Atlanta, Nashville, Charleston, Mobile , 1860-1910. Don H. Doyle. Chapel Hill, NC: The University of North Carolina Press, 1990. xx and 369 pp., illustrations, notes, and index. $39.95 cloth/$12.95 paper (ISBN 0-8078-1883-6) One rarely encounters such an eminently readable discussion of regional history as this new volume on the rise of the urban South. The premise and the thought of plowing through yet another southern urban history did not bring shivers of anticipation when the book first presented itself, but after completion I went away with a sense of time well spent. Revisionist historians have possibly produced more books on the 19th-century urban South in the past few years than there were people populating these places. This volume is an exceptional addition to this avalanche and will become required reading for anyone with an interest in late 19th-century economic development in the region. The premise is simple. Examine four key cities representing two ports and two inland transaction centers and explore their development throughout the 19th century. Charleston represented the height of the Old South plantation and survived, while Mobile, the quintessential small cotton export port, was the little engine that couldn't. Atlanta was and is the city of the future, whereas Nashville, like Mobile, is the alter ego of its larger paired city and, like Mobile, never lived up to its potential . The tour of these places examines their social and economic health and puts them into perspective. One is led to an understanding of the damage caused by the patrician attitude of the Charleston elite, of the negative role of community in Mobile, and of the importance of the Atlanta spirit, and a sense of wonder as to why Nashville didn't rise higher in a series of comparative and contrasting discussions. Nashville flourished as an occupied city during the war; Atlanta was burned to the ground. Mobile sank to despair at the end of the war; Charleston began rebuilding almost immediately. After the war, Nashville returned to moderate development; Atlanta exploded in a frenzy of expansion, economic development, and self promotion. Vol. XXX, No. 2 141 The discussion covers eleven chapters based primarily upon historic periods. While economics appears to be the theme, the roles of local society and individuals are stressed. Most importantly, the comparison and contrast of the cities during each period allow the reader to come to a better understanding of the options available and the significance of the paths chosen. As a result, the book becomes more than a history of four cities as the reader is led to an understanding ofthe urban process in the region during the late 19th century. This book is many things, but readers must bring their own geographic perspectives with them. The maps are basic, the photographs familiar, and the spatial discussions and comparisons few and far between . There are bits and pieces of historical geography, but that is not this volume's forte. The book's geographic contribution emanates from its premise. By comparing and contrasting two pairs of cities, the author inadvertently demonstrates why historical geography flourishes, in spite ofthe continued growth of geographical history. Don't despair, however; this is a good book. It is worth reading, and it will make important contributions to an understanding of this crucial part of the region's history. Richard Pillsbury, Department of Geography, Georgia State University, Atlanta , GA 30303. The American Backwoods Frontier: An Ethnic and Ecological Interpretation . Terry G. Jordan and Matti Kaups. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1989. xiii, 360 pp., photographs, illustrations, maps, tables, bibliography, index. $36.00 (ISBN 0-8018-3686-7) The American Rackwoods Frontier is organized into ten chapters: two place the problem in the context of culture history and theory, and the other chapters discuss Finnish culture, backwoods society, farming, log construction, folk architecture, hunting and gathering, and frontier expansion. The authors present the thesis that Finnish colonial immigrants at the colony of New Sweden played a highly significant role in shaping America's frontier culture. Although the Germans and Scotch- ...