Question

Following Reconstruction, the term New South was most often used to describe

a. changes in the Southern economy
b. new attitudes in race relations
c. the growth of the Republican Party in the South
d. the decline of the sharecropping system

Answer 1

The term 'New South' refers to changes in the Southern economy, particularly the push for industrialization and diversification beyond agriculture after the Civil War.

Step-by-step explanation:

The term New South was most often used to describe changes in the Southern economy. Following the devastation of the Civil War, there was a push by a group of reformers, investors, and industrialists to diversify the South's economy beyond its traditional agrarian roots.

They advocated for industrial prosperity and the move towards family farms, merging the ideals of the Old South with modern industry and independence. Despite these aspirations, the post-Reconstruction era saw the South face persistent poverty, racial tensions, and a staunch loyalty to the Democratic Party among white voters, which was largely a response to prevent formerly enslaved individuals from gaining political power.

This resulted in the South becoming a political backwater where aspirations for socio-economic revitalization conflicted with deep-seated resistance to change.