The background of Gone with the Wind: Part Two is the problems that the Southern states experienced after the war. The economic ruin of the South had several causes. By 1865 many of its slaves, on whom its cotton economy depended, had run away from the plantations, knowing that the Northern armies would free them. Other slaves had taken advantage of an offer that the Confederate government (the government of the South) made towards the end of the war: this guaranteed them their freedom if they fought in its armies. The Confederate government had stopped selling its cotton to Europe at the beginning of the war, in the hope that this would encourage Britain and France to help their cause, but by doing so they deprived themselves of a major source of income. In any case, the Union (the North) blockade of the South’s ports meant that the Confederates could not import goods and had to turn many cotton fields to food production. There were many ‘blockade runners’ – like Rhett Butler – who tried to get past the Union ships to bring materials to the South, but many of them were only interested in their own gain, and made enormous fortunes. Both armies in the war deliberately spoiled huge areas of land, which ruined and demoralised the Southern states. The South felt further humiliated by the way in which the North tried to make the Southern states safe before they could rejoin the Union. The North said that it would pardon and give the vote to any Southerner who took an oath
of loyalty to the United States, with some exceptions. Ex-officers of the Confederate army and the richest landowners – who were considered mainly responsible for the war – could only be pardoned if they made a special application to the President. The government also passed new laws which freed all slaves throughout the Union
c Pearson Education Limited 2008
Gone with the Wind – Part Two - Teacher’s notes 2 of 3

Teacher’s notes LEVEL 4
PENGUIN READERS Teacher Support Programme
Gone with the Wind – Part Two
and made them citizens. The Southern states could only re-enter the Union if they agreed to these laws. Still more bitterness was caused by the ‘carpetbaggers’. These were Northerners who moved into the South after the war to try to buy up the property of its destitute people or make profit in other ways. The greatest fear the Southerners had, however, was of the newly freed blacks. Southern whites could never accept ex-slaves as being equal to themselves, and were frightened of the revenge they might take. This fear gave birth to the infamous Ku Klux Klan, a secret society of white people whose purpose was to frighten blacks and keep them in a lower social position. Riding about at night in white hoods and robes, they whipped, burnt and murdered blacks everywhere. They also tried to prevent them from voting, and terrorized any whites who tried to help them. The old South that was swept away
by the Civil War was a very conservative culture. Young men of the plantation-owning families were brought up to ride, shoot, play cards, race and bet on horses, and little more. This is what makes Ashley Wilkes, with his refined manners and taste for books, so different. Women were denied education and political rights and their behaviour in public was bound by strict social rules. Women like Scarlett O’Hara – intelligent, spirited women – must have found Southern society impossibly restrictive.
The background of Gone with the Wind: Part Two is the problems that the Southern states experienced after the war. The economic ruin of the South had several causes. By 1865 many of its slaves, on whom its cotton economy depended, had run away from the plantations, knowing that the Northern armies would free them. Other slaves had taken advantage of an offer that the Confederate government (the government of the South) made towards the end of the war: this guaranteed them their freedom if they fought in its armies. The Confederate government had stopped selling its cotton to Europe at the beginning of the war, in the hope that this would encourage Britain and France to help their cause, but by doing so they deprived themselves of a major source of income. In any case, the Union (the North) blockade of the South’s ports meant that the Confederates could not import goods and had to turn many cotton fields to food production. There were many ‘blockade runners’ – like Rhett Butler – who tried to get past the Union ships to bring materials to the South, but many of them were only interested in their own gain, and made enormous fortunes. Both armies in the war deliberately spoiled huge areas of land, which ruined and demoralised the Southern states. The South felt further humiliated by the way in which the North tried to make the Southern states safe before they could rejoin the Union. The North said that it would pardon and give the vote to any Southerner who took an oath
of loyalty to the United States, with some exceptions. Ex-officers of the Confederate army and the richest landowners – who were considered mainly responsible for the war – could only be pardoned if they made a special application to the President. The government also passed new laws which freed all slaves throughout the Union
c Pearson Education Limited 2008
Gone with the Wind – Part Two - Teacher’s notes 2 of 3

Teacher’s notes LEVEL 4
PENGUIN READERS Teacher Support Programme
Gone with the Wind – Part Two
and made them citizens. The Southern states could only re-enter the Union if they agreed to these laws. Still more bitterness was caused by the ‘carpetbaggers’. These were Northerners who moved into the South after the war to try to buy up the property of its destitute people or make profit in other ways. The greatest fear the Southerners had, however, was of the newly freed blacks. Southern whites could never accept ex-slaves as being equal to themselves, and were frightened of the revenge they might take. This fear gave birth to the infamous Ku Klux Klan, a secret society of white people whose purpose was to frighten blacks and keep them in a lower social position. Riding about at night in white hoods and robes, they whipped, burnt and murdered blacks everywhere. They also tried to prevent them from voting, and terrorized any whites who tried to help them. The old South that was swept away
by the Civil War was a very conservative culture. Young men of the plantation-owning families were brought up to ride, shoot, play cards, race and bet on horses, and little more. This is what makes Ashley Wilkes, with his refined manners and taste for books, so different. Women were denied education and political rights and their behaviour in public was bound by strict social rules. Women like Scarlett O’Hara – intelligent, spirited women – must have found Southern society impossibly restrictive.
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