Plain Folk of the Old South

First published in 1949, Frank Lawrence Owsleys PLAIN FOLK OF THE OLD SOUTH refutes the popular myth that the antebellum South contained only three classes: planters, poor whites, and slaves. Owsley draws on a wide range of source materials to accurately reconstruct the prewar Souths large and significant middle class. He follows the history of this group, beginning with their migration from the Atlantic states into the frontier South, charts their property holdings and economic standing, and tells of the rich texture of their lives: the singing schools and corn shuckings, their courtship rituals and revival meetings, barn raisings and logrollings, and contests of marksmanship and horsemanship such as snuffing the candle, driving the nail, and the gander pull. A new introduction by noted southern historian John B. Boles explains why this book remains the starting point today for the study of society in the Old South.