Southeastern States (2nd Ed.)

[Music] this is the familiar look of the southeast's land climate and soil are its two distinctive features the subtropic to temperate climate and the potentially productive soil the southeast is also a place of large natural river systems the highest mountains east of the rockies rolling hill country blue grass country and even rock plateaus but geographically the region's chief distinction is its warm climate and abundant rainfall and its growing season longer on the average than any comparable area in the united states the southeastern region is one of the six major regions into which we may divide the united states politically it is marked off into 11 separate states virginia north carolina south carolina georgia florida alabama mississippi tennessee kentucky louisiana and arkansas it was in the southeast that the first permanent english colony was established at jamestown virginia in 1607. was to the southeast that the first negro slaves were brought a few years later many northern colonists moved into this region as land grew scarce at home white settlement was accompanied by a steady flow of slave ships to the southeastern ports gradually a plantation system developed new lands were cleared for tobacco cotton spread across the south cane prospered in the delta and land northwards was planted in corn this produce was shipped to market by flat boat and later by steamboat cotton had become king but by 1860 the basically wasteful one crop system could not compete with a growing industry of the rest of the nation the economic and political conflict could not be settled except by war for the southeast a whole way of life suddenly changed along with much that changed much remains the landmarks are still there washington's mount vernon jefferson's home at monticello the monuments to lee great general and educator today an expanded and mechanized agriculture is still the greatest single occupation of the southeastern people about one third of the total population live by farming an equal number outside the cities who do not farm are classified as rural non-farm there are four major farming sub-regions the sub-tropical fruit belt the truck farming belt the mixed farming belt to the north and the great central cotton belt the subtropical fruit belt includes the huge citrus groves of florida mississippi and louisiana and the cane and rice fields of the deep south from the truck farming belt along the entire coast vegetables are now shipped to local markets and to markets in colder regions on the uplands of the mixed farming belt grow corn small grains peaches apples and other fruits that have long characterized the southern appalachian area here two cattle are raised the cotton belt however is still the most extensive sub-region although the south no longer depends on this cash crop it is important as a source of cotton cloth and cotton seed products in addition to the plantings of cotton winter wheat and corn are the tobacco crops this leading southeastern cash crop has been a major product for more than three centuries [Music] but the grip of cotton and tobacco economy has been loosened throughout much of the southeast as seen in the strong trend toward livestock dairying and poultry raising another major trend has been the decrease in the number of tenant farmers and a corresponding increase in the size of the average farm in many parts of the region the soil is impoverished erosion and excessive rainfall have taken a heavy toll but crop rotation soil building crops and enormous quantities of fertilizer have helped restore the soils fertility altogether the southeast's major agricultural activities provide the livelihood for nine million people once periodic floods of the tennessee river and its tributaries ravaged the countryside now they are controlled by a great system of dams which also supply electric power essential to the industrial and urban growth much of the southeast's industry is based on its own agricultural products and natural resources textile mills the biggest industry attract one-fourth of the region's industrial workers here cotton from southern soil is woven into cloth used throughout the nation although textile manufacture was once a new england monopoly today the southeast's cotton spindles greatly outnumber those of the northeast cotton seed has become a valuable industrial byproduct yielding vegetable oils and one-third of the nation's protein meal feeds the region's tobacco crops supply its factories which turn out the world's largest number of tobacco products more and more foods grown during the long season are processed locally before being shipped to northern markets the forests are still a rich resource in the southeast from these forests come logs to be converted into furniture lumber and paper products into the steel mills of birmingham flow southern coal and iron from nearby sources to feed the furnaces here deep in the south is the source of roughly 10 percent of the nation's annual output of iron and steel aluminum ware is among the newest southeastern products and arkansas's mines supply about 90 of the nation's bauxite our biggest domestic source of aluminum the southeast provides a growing market for the goods of other regions as a producer the southeast sends out cotton both in unpressed bales and in the form of finished textiles cigarettes cigars and pipe mixtures vegetables raised on its truck farms fruit from its upland orchards and sub-tropical citrus fruit farms lumber furniture and aluminum into the southeast flow goods from the other regions from the northeast machine tools small manufacturers shoes steel locomotives and investment capital from the middle states automobiles farm machinery and wheat products from the northwest metals wool and wheat from the far west motion picture films seafood certain fruits and vegetables from southwest cattle and petroleum products so in what it sends out cotton tobacco fresh and processed fruits and vegetables and forest products and in what it receives in turn from other regions the southeast reflects an increased balance of its industry and agriculture the pattern of rural and urban life has changed and yet sections of the southeast retain much of an essentially rural style of life the farmhouse in the fields the cabin on the hillside the small country school or the new or consolidated school the local country store and gas station the church down the road the courthouse square on a saturday afternoon in contrast with this pattern an urban way of life has developed in the southeast in cities like birmingham richmond and atlanta this fairly recent urban way of life is seen in the homes in the schools the churches in the size of shopping districts and tourist facilities in the industrial activity the trend to the city continues already there are five cities of over three hundred thousand and fifteen other cities with over one hundred thousand people but the southeast today is known for the region where new techniques and diversified farming have revitalized agriculture where industry coming into its own has harnessed the power of rivers to create new sources of revenue for the region there are continuing problems and yet there are new promises for all the south has assured its future by providing education through public schools colleges and state universities these benefits have reached the entire population raising every standard in the region the southeast 31 million americans living and working in a region of long tradition of achievement and of great promise [Music] you