Ch 9- The Inland South

The Inland South has a very diverse topography, and cultural history. Traditionally, the South has long been seen as a very conservative, agriculturally driven region. The Civil War, or the "War Between the States," as people in the south like to call it, also culturally shaped the region. These things are very different from the Northern city of Philadelphia. 

Early in America's history, slavery was a commonly practiced institution to have access to free labor. In the South, some plantation owners who were heavily reliant on cash crops were also dependent on work by slaves.  After slavery was abolished as a result of the Civil War, tenant farming became popular. This was a second system of institutionalized poverty for poor Black farmers. In the 1920's, due to unsatisfactory living conditions, "hundreds of thousands of African Americans relocated to urban centers in the north" (Shelley 175). This became known as the Great migration. 

Large cities in the North grew quickly as a result of this. The population of blacks in Philadelphia grew by 500% in the decade between 1910 and 1920 (History). Though the City of Brotherly Love did not have institutionalized racism like the south did, the city was heavily segregated. A chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) was created in 1912 to protect southern migrants' rights in the city. In the 1950's, almost all aspects of life were heavily segregated. Like most cities in America, Philadelphia has a history of racial segregation and discrimination. But after the Civil Rights Movement of the 60's, and continuing cultural awareness, the city has come much closer to equality for everybody.  

The South is by and large much more conservative than the North, and especially Philadelphia. Religiously, people of the Inland South are predominately all Christian Baptist, with little variation. Philly, on the other hand, has many different religions people subscribe to. It has a higher percentage of Catholic, Islamic and Eastern religion than the nation as a whole. The chart below breaks down religion in Philly. 

Religion in Philly from Best Places

Philadelphia's religious and cultural diversity is what makes it so exciting as a city.