Degree Name
MA (Master of Arts)
Program
History
Date of Award
5-2013
Committee Chair or Co-Chairs
Steven N. Nash
Committee Members
Tom D. Lee, Dinah Mayo-Bobee
Abstract
This thesis explores the settlement of the Mississippi Territory through the eyes of John Hailes, a Southern yeoman farmer, from 1813 until his death in 1859. This is a family history. As such, the goal of this paper is to reconstruct John’s life to better understand who he was, why he left South Carolina, how he made a living in Mississippi, and to determine a degree of upward mobility.
Local, state, and federal government records provide the general context of this study and accurately track John’s movements and land purchases within the territory. John's frequent movements and the land he bought suggest that he was a herder and relied on hogs and cattle for a living. This contextual biography suggests that John was mobile, that he was sensitive to land policies and market pressures, and that he maintained a yeoman's standard of living throughout his life.
Document Type
Thesis - unrestricted
Recommended Citation
McCall, Ronald J., "Never Quite Settled: Southern Plain Folk on the Move" (2013). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 1121. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/1121
Copyright
Copyright by the authors.