This seminar will survey the history and historiography of the U.S. South in the 19th century. Race and race relations will provide a central thread of discussion, as the course moves from the rise and fall of plantation slavery, to the Civil War and Reconstruction, to the emergence of a "new" South. The course will also embed the South's history in larger scholarly conversations about the history of capitalism, citizenship, the environment, gender, race, memory and regional identity. Readings will range from classics in the field to newer, more cutting-edge works, from monographs to primary sources.