Date of Award

1963

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Department

History

Abstract

The primary objective of this study is to ascertain what part, if any, the prominent industrialists of Virginia, in the postwar-pretwentieth century period, played in the economic rejuvenation of a state that was ravaged for four years by invaders and defenders alike. Cognizant of the fact that Virginia industry after 1865 was attending a degree of diversification, nonetheless, this study will be limited to three primary industries, namely tobacco, flour and textiles. Even though these three industries, with the possible exception of textiles, were found in most towns and cities throughout the state, only four cities have been selected for study, that is to say Richmond, Petersburg, Danville and Lynchburg. It was in these four that the greatest, concentration of tobacco, flour and cotton manufacturing plants were found, during the last half of the nineteenth century. No slight was intended for Norfolk and Newport News, for oven though they acted as major export centers during the four decades under discussion, their business was more commercial than manufacturing.

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