Rural Midwest Since World War II

L. Anderson J.

Description

J.L. Anderson seeks to change the belief that the Midwest lacks the kind of geographic coherence, historical issues, and cultural touchstones that have informed regional identity in the American South, West, and Northeast. The goal of this illuminating volume is to demonstrate uniqueness in a region that has always been amorphous and is increasingly so. Midwesterners are a dynamic people who shaped the physical and social landscapes of the great midsection of the nation, and they are presented as such in this volume that offers a general yet informed overview of the region after World War II.The contributors-most of whom are Midwesterners by birth or residence-seek to better understand a particular piece of rural America, a place too often caricatured, misunderstood, and ignored. However, the rural landscape has experienced agricultural diversity and major shifts in land use. Farmers in the region have successfully raised new commodities from dairy and cherries to mint and sugar beets. The region has also been a place where community leaders fought to improve their economic and social well-being, women redefined their roles on the farm, and minorities asserted their own version of the American Dream.The rural Midwest is a regional melting pot, and contributors to this volume do not set out to sing its praises or, by contrast, assume the position of Midwestern modesty and self-deprecation. The essays herein rewrite the narrative of rural decline and crisis, and show through solid research and impeccable scholarship that rural Midwesterners have confronted and created challenges uniquely their own.

Sujets

• Histoire
• USA
• Types of rural communities
• History of the Americas
• États-Unis

Informations

• Publié par: Cornell University Press
• Date de parution: 01 février 2014
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781501751318
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 2 Mo

Extrait

The RuRaL MIdwesT sInce woRLd waR II

THE RURAL MIDWEST Edited by J.L.Anderson SINCE F O R E W O R D B Y R . D O U G L A S H U R T WORLD WAR II

nIu PRess/ DeKab, ï

© 2014 by Norern ïînoîs Unîversîy Press Pubîsed by e Norern ïînoîs Unîversîy Press, DeKab, ïînoîs 60115 Manuacured în e Unîed Saes usîng acîd-ree paper. A Rîgs Reserved

Desîgn by Saun Asouse

Library of Congress CataloginginPublication Data he rura Mîdwes sînce Word War ïï / edîed by J.. Anderson ; oreword by R. Dougas Hur.  p cm  ïncudes îndex.  ïSBN 978-0-87580-694-5 (pbk : ak. paper)  ïSBN 978-1-60909-090-6 (e-book) 1. Mîdde WesRura condîîons. 2. Mîdde WesEconomîc condîîons. 3. Mîdde WesSo- cîa condîîons20 cenury. 4. AgrîcuureMîdde WesHîsory20 cenury. 5. Socîoogy, RuraMîdde Wes. ï. Anderson, J. . (Josep esîe), 1966, edîor.  HN79.A14R87 2013

 306.0977dc23

 2013017744

I n M e M o R y o f

Eveyn L. and Ronad G. Anderson and Vîoe E. and Lesîe L. Robîson

c o n T e n T s

Foreword by R. Dougas Hur îx Acknowedgmens xîîî

InTRoducTIon J.. Anderson 3 1. a LandscaPe TRansfoRMed— Ecosysems and Naura Resources în e Mîdwes James A. Prîcard 12 2. ecoLogy, econoMy, LaboR he Mîdwesern Farm Landscape sînce 1945 Kendra Smî-Howard 44 3. beyond The RusT beLT he Negeced Hîsory o e Rura Mîdwes’s ïndusrîaîzaîon ater Word War ïï Wîson J. Warren 72 4. MIdwesTeRn RuRaL coMMunITIes In The PosT–wwII eRa To 2000 Corneîa Buer Fora and Jan . Fora 103 5. uneasy dePendency Rura and Farm Poîcy and e Mîdwes sînce 1945 J.. Anderson 126 6. faRM woMen In The MIdwesT sInce 1945 Jenny Barker Devîne 160 7. chILdhood In The RuRaL MIdwesT sInce 1945 Pamea Rîney-Kerberg 183 8. “The whITesT of occuPaTIons”? Arîcan Amerîcans în e Rura Mîdwes, 1940–2010 Debra A. Reîd 204 9. hIsPanIcs In The MIdwesT sInce woRLd waR II Jîm Norrîs 255 10. InTeRnaL aLTeRnaTe he Mîdwesern Amîs sînce 1945 Seven D. Rescy 276 concLusIon— he ïndîsînc Dîsîncîveness o Rura Mîdwesern Cuure Davîd Danbom 296

Conrîbuors 307 ïndex 311

f o R e w o R d R. Dougas Hur

he Mîdwes îs an amorpous regîon. Neîer scoars nor e pubîc, încud- îng ose wo îve în e regîon, agree on îs boundarîes or wa îs încuded. ïn some respecs î îs an îmagîned and senîmenay îdeaîzed regîon were rura peope on arms, în sma owns, and în e counrysîde ave creaed an excepîona, cuuray deInîng regîon a îs moray and eîcay superîor o a oer secîons o e naîon. Here, rura mîdweserners enjoyed and de- ended îndependen, egaîarîan, and democraîc îves ar removed rom e cîîes, wîc ey consîdered corrup, vîoen, and povery-srîcken. hîs concep o e Mîdwes as a mora and eîca îdea remaîned a com- mon beîe îno e weny-Irs cenury. ï can bes be vîsuaîzed în e paîn- îngs o Gran Wood, Jon Seuar Curry, and homas Har Benon, wo com- prîsed e Regîonaîs Scoo în Amerîcan ar durîng e 1930s bu wose paînîngs remaîn as mena îmages or many peope because ese arîss concerned emseves wî e symbos o mîdwesern rura îe. hey used arms and e rura andscape o convey eîr îdea a îe în e rura Mîd- wes exempîIed Amerîcan cuure. By depîcîng e rura îdea în mîdwes- ern îe, ey paîned a benevoen naure în wîc rura mîdweserners îved peaceu, secure, we-ordered îves and provîded e oundaîon or a srong naîon. he Regîonaîs paîners reînorced e îdea a e rura Mîdwes was a regîon o agrarîan and sma-own amîy vaues, commîmen o ard work, and cooperaîve efors among rura peope. Above a, e Regîonaîss’ Mîdwes was a pace o socîa sabîîy. Cange and e socîa, economîc, and poîîca reas a accompanîed î occurred esewere. Mîdwesern Regîonaîs paîners and agrarîan pîosopers suc as Wen- de Berry eped ranser e pîosopîca assumpîons o Crèvecouer, Je- erson, Emerson, and horeau îno e wenîe-Irs cenury. ïndeed, e paînîngs o e Regîonaîss creaed îmages a Amerîcans ook or reaîy, a îs, e îsory o e regîon. ïn e Mîdwes, rura îe provîded a srong economîc, poîîca, and socîa oundaîon and made e regîon excepîona among a naîons. By e weny-Irs cenury, e îmage and îdea o e Mîdwes as e rura îdea remaîned Ixed în e pubîc mînd. Ecoogîs and Wîsconsîn naîve Ado eopod ook e rura mîdwes- ern îdea a bî arer wen e wroeSand Couny Amanac. eopod ad- vocaed a “and eîc” a învoked e erm “communîy” în e sense o bîoogîca înerdependence în naure, or e concep a envîronmenaîss