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Politics and Culture in the Twentieth-Century South
Cold War Dixie: Militarization and Modernization in the American South
Focusing on the impact of the Savannah River Plant (SRP) on the communities it created, rejuvenated, or displaced, this book explores the parallel militarization and modernization of the Cold War-era South. The SRP, a scientific and industrial complex near Aiken, South Carolina, grew out of a 1950 partnership between the Atomic Energy Commission and the DuPont Corporation and was dedicated to producing materials for the hydrogen bomb. Kari Frederickson shows how the needs of the expanding national security state, in combination with the corporate culture of DuPont, transformed the economy, landscape, social relations, and politics of this corner of the South. In 1950, the area comprising the SRP and its surrounding communities was primarily poor, uneducated, rural, and staunchly Democratic; by the mid-1960s, it boasted the most PhDs per capita in the state and had become increasingly middle class, suburban, and Republican.
The SRP's story is notably dramatic; however, Frederickson argues, it is far from unique. The influx of new money, new workers, and new business practices stemming from Cold War-era federal initiatives helped drive the emergence of the Sunbelt. These factors also shaped local race relations. In the case of the SRP, DuPont's deeply conservative ethos blunted opportunities for social change, but it also helped contain the radical white backlash that was so prominent in places like the Mississippi Delta that received less Cold War investment.
The SRP's story is notably dramatic; however, Frederickson argues, it is far from unique. The influx of new money, new workers, and new business practices stemming from Cold War-era federal initiatives helped drive the emergence of the Sunbelt. These factors also shaped local race relations. In the case of the SRP, DuPont's deeply conservative ethos blunted opportunities for social change, but it also helped contain the radical white backlash that was so prominent in places like the Mississippi Delta that received less Cold War investment.
- GenresHistoryNonfiction
256 pages, Hardcover
First published June 1, 2013
About the author
Kari Frederickson
5 books1 followerAn associate professor of history at the University of Alabama, Kari Frederickson is a specialist in post-Civil War U.S. political history, Southern history, and the history of African Americans. She earned her doctorate in history from Rutgers University in 1996.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
September 5, 2017
After reading Full Body Burden by Kristine Iverson, I searched for a book about the Savannah River Plant since we had lived nearby for 20 plus years. This book was very interesting in the facts it presented but was definitely written by someone who researched the topic but had no personal knowledge of it. One thing that absolutely drove me crazy was her use of "the SRP" over and over again. I have never heard of the Savannah River Plant or Savannah River Site referred to as "the SRP" - instead it has always been called "SRP" or "SRS" with no "the" in front of the initials. This small detail will not be noticeable to outsiders but was glaring to me as someone familiar with the project. I did enjoy the history of the site and the political changes it brought. I was happy to find out more about how it came to be and hope someone in the future will write more about the impact from a true personal viewpoint.
Displaying 1 of 1 review