Final answer:
Supporters of Henry Grady favored a New South focused on industrial and agricultural development, improved education, and modernized infrastructure, including a unified railroad system to stimulate economic growth.
Step-by-step explanation:
Supporters of Henry Grady, a notable Georgia editor and advocate for the New South, favored a transformative vision for their region which was based on progress and diversification post-Civil War. Grady championed the idea that the South could rebuild and diversify its economy by embracing both industrialization and modernized agriculture. He emphasized the importance of education, the growth of factories, increased immigration, and the development of a more interconnected railroad system to replace the inefficient and fragmented pre-war infrastructure.
Editor Henry Grady envisioned a South that no longer relied solely on plantation agriculture but took advantage of its climate, natural resources, and inexpensive labor. His advocacy for the New South was predicated on the belief that broadening economic bases would lead to greater democracy and societal advancement. His followers supported integrated rail systems that could connect not simply to plantations and ports but to burgeoning Southern cities as well, further facilitating economic growth.