Final answer:
The "Party of the South" and "Dixiecrats" were southern Democrats who formed the States' Rights Democratic Party, opposing the Democratic Party's support for civil rights and federal intervention in the 1960s. Strom Thurmond, they eventually realigned with the Republican Party to shared socially conservative values and support for states' rights.
Step-by-step explanation:
Who Were the "Party of the South" and "Dixiecrats"?
The "Party of the South" and the "Dixiecrats" refer to a segment of the Democratic Party known as the States' Rights Democratic Party that splintered over issues related to civil rights movements and the concept of states' rights during the 1960's.
The Dixiecrats emerged in opposition to the Democratic National Convention's moderate civil rights platform in 1948, when a group of 35 southern delegates led by South Carolina's Strom Thurmond walked out.
This group was concerned about the federal government imposing a liberal agenda that would lead to racial integration, which threatened the traditional social orders of the South.
In response to the national Democratic Party's growing support for civil rights and social welfare, many Southern Democrats began shifting their allegiance to the Republican Party, especially after the 1980s when the Reagan Revolution welcomed the socially and racially conservative Southern Democrats to align with pro-business Republicans.
The realignment reflected an underlying tension: while Democrats in other parts of the country sought alliances with minorities, the Solid South remained predominantly Democratic due to regional concerns about maintaining the status quo, particularly regarding racial issues.
The transition of the Party of the South from Democratic to Republican control was marked by an era of political restructuring that signaled significant changes in the political landscape of the United States, particularly in regards to race relations and the power dynamics between the federal government and the states.