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The Agrarians
The Agrarians, sometimes known as the Southern Agrarians, were the successors of the Fugitives. They went beyond the Fugitives in looking at the socioeconomic conditions of the South. They produced a famous work on the topic, I’ll Take My Stand: The South and the Agrarian Tradition. In the introduction to the book, they state all [the authors] tend to support a Southern way of life against what may be called the American or prevailing way; and all as much as agree that the best terms in which to represent the distinction are contained in the phrase, Agrarian versus Industrial. Essentially, they regretted the loss of what they saw as the Southern agricultural tradition and were opposed to the industrialism of the North. However there were differences within the group, with some more religious than others and some more right-wing and in favor of the antebellum slave-owning aristocracy. As well as the writers associated with Fugitives, the group also included Andrew Lytle, Frank Owsley and Stark Young. The group’s views had a strong influence on Southern writing.
Books on The Agrarians
Emily Bingham and Thomas A Underwood (Editors): The Southern Agrarians and the New Deal: Essays After I’ll Take My Stand
Paul K. Conkin: The Southern Agrarians
Mark G. Malvasi: The Unregenerate South: The Agrarian Thought of John Crowe Ransom, Allen Tate, and Donald Davidson
Paul V. Murphy: The Rebuke of History: The Southern Agrarians and American Conservative Thought
Twelve Southerners: I’ll Take My Stand: The South And the Agrarian Tradition
Other links
Southern Agrarians
Southern Agrarians
Fugitives and Agrarians Brief Biographical Sketches