1.3K
Henry Grady
Post-Civil War, the South’s plantation economy was in shambles. Atlanta Constitution editor Henry Grady became the region’s champion by popularizing the term “New South” to advocate an updated vision for the former Confederacy.
His zealous “New South Speech,” delivered in Manhattan Dec. 22, 1886, was acclaimed as the best speech in years as he spoke of the South’s new “perfect democracy,” its closely-knit social system and its breath of new life.
Thanks to the speech, he became an overnight national hero, convincing his Northern audience – including General William Tecumseh Sherman – of the promise and legitimacy of investing in the South.
– Mark C. McDonald, Georgia Trust