Historic America. The South

The story of America's South, still unfolding, is a fascinating tale that interweaves hope and promise, poverty and plenty, elegance and sophistication, conflict and deep loss -- all set against a landscape of diverse and unparalleled beauty. Today, the South is a world-renowned vacation paradise, with its palm-fringed beaches; lush, exotic plant life; abundant animal life on land and in the waters; and relaxed, hospitable atmosphere. Many visitors are unaware that the region boasts such a rich history -- that Jamestown, Virginia, was America's first European colony; that St. Augustine, Florida, is the nation's oldest city; or that the prehistoric mound-building peoples built structures believed to have been as complex, and larger than, the great pyramids of Egypt, at an even earlier time. Haunted by the echoes of cannon and rifles fired by Americans against their fellow citizens in the "War Between the States," and scarred by the dehumanizing institution of slavery and the continued repression of African-Americans long after that war, the South has witnessed violence, back-breaking labor, and the tears and hardships of those who survived to rebuild upon the ashes of conflict. Yet despite so much adversity, creativity has flourished in this region as in few others.