Southern History as U.S. History.

An essay is presented discussing the nature of southern history studies as a field defined by social, cultural, and political dynamics rather than a geography limited to the Southern U.S. States. It is argued that conceptions of the South and its history should not be separated from the rest of the country and that issues such as slavery were embedded in the governing structure of the nation. The prominent positions southern historians have held in the Organization of American Historians is examined.