This work investigates the transformation of racial dynamics in the American South from the end of Reconstruction in 1877 through 1920. Joel Williamson, a distinguished historian of the American South, utilizes a comprehensive analysis of political, social, and literary records to argue that this period was the crucible in which modern Southern racial identity was forged. He examines how shifting ideologies among both white and black populations created a new, rigid structure of segregation and social hierarchy that defined the region for the following century.

Historians frequently cite this work as a foundational text for understanding the hardening of racial lines in the post-Civil War South. Scholars often highlight the density of the research and the author's ability to synthesize complex cultural shifts into a coherent historical narrative.