The South Through Time: A History of an American Region, Vol. 1

by John B. Boles

This is a gracefully written narrative of the entire sweep of southern history, from the first settlement by Native Americans through the Civil War. The South Through Time is the most up-to-date, analytical, and stylishly written history of the region available on the market. Comprehensive, interpretive, and inclusive, with much attention given to politics, society, economics, culture, religion, women, and blacks, it offers a discussion of regional variation within the South and broadens its coverage beyond the traditional emphasis on the Atlantic seaboard states. Its comprehensive coverage of the history of the Southern U.S. makes this an appropriate reference work for writers and researchers.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, American History

400 pages, Paperback

First published December 28, 1994

About the author

John B. Boles is an American historian who retired as the William P. Hobby Professor of American History at Rice University in 2019. Born in Houston, Texas, he grew up in a rural, racially segregated Bible Belt town where his family farmed cotton and later raised chickens. Raised in a staunchly Baptist household, Boles’ early experiences shaped his later research in Southern social history. He earned a Bachelor of Arts from Rice University in 1965 and a PhD from the University of Virginia in 1969. Boles began his academic career at Towson State University, later teaching at Tulane University before joining Rice University in 1981, where he held prominent chairs and contributed extensively to scholarship. He authored numerous books on the social history of the Southern United States, including religious, black, and women’s history, and edited multiple volumes. Boles served as editor of the Journal of Southern History for over 30 years and was president of the Southern Historical Association in 2017-18. His 2017 biography Jefferson: Architect of American Liberty is widely regarded as a definitive one-volume study of Thomas Jefferson.