Our Country First, Then Greenville: A New South City During the Progressive Era and World War I

Book excerpt: Places Greenville's experience during World War I within the context of the progressive era to better understand the rise of this New South city Greenville, South Carolina has become an attractive destination, frequently included in lists of the Best Small Cities in America. While Greenville's 21st century Renaissance has been impressive, in Our Country First, Then Greenville, author Courtney Louise Tollison Hartness explores an earlier period, revealing how Greenville's experience during World War I served to generate massive development in the city and the region. It was this moment that catalyzed Greenville's development into a modern city, setting the stage for the continued growth that persists into the present-day. World War I affected Greenville and its residents in ways both big and small. Our Country First, Then Greenville explores Greenville's home-front experience of race relations, dramatic population growth (the number of Greenville residents nearly tripled between 1900 and 1930s), the women's suffrage movement, and the contributions of African Americans and women to Greenville's history. Tollison Hartness studies the influenza pandemic of that time, explores the stories behind the Greenville building boom of the 1910s and 1920s, and shares the rich and scandalous story of Greenville's Confederate Memorial. She argues that Greenville's experience during World War I cannot be separated from Progressive-era civic engagement, and that wartime mobilization catapulted Greenville into the ranks of the New South's important urban centers. This important work features newly discovered photos of Greenville, found in archival collections throughout the country and dating back over 100 years.