“Building the Old South Plantation in the Hudson River Valley: Middle-Class Idylls of Service and Status, 1875-1900”
April 30th, 7pm Online (Zoom)
Middle class Americans did a strange thing after destroying slavery in the Civil War. Instead of creating a national culture that celebrated the Union victory, they invented an “old South” plantation myth, replete with loyal mammies, benevolent masters, and banjo orchestras. This talk will describe the development of the myth in the Hudson River Valley and offer an explanation for its popularity.
Presented by: Reynolds “Rennie” Scott-Childress
Reynolds Scott-Childress teaches history at SUNY New Paltz and the Inter-University Centre, Dubrovnik, Croatia. His work focuses on the categories and practices of race and class in US history.
Pre-registration required for this lecture: