The Ladies of the South, wives and girls of who lived on the Plantations, they had the name called "Southern Belle" one notable Southern Belle you are familiar with would be Scarlett O'Hara and Melanie Wilkes from Gone with the Wind, so here we are from the Daily Life Section in Story of America Cards.

(What is a Southern Belle?)

The Name "Belle" means "Beautiful" in French; the name is a colloquialism for a debutante in the planter class of the Antebellum South.

The image of a Southern belle is often characterized by fashion elements such as a hoop skirt, a corset, pantalettes, a wide-brimmed straw hat, and gloves. As signs of tanning were considered working-class and unfashionable during this era, parasols and fans are also often represented.

Southern belles were expected to marry respectable young men, and become ladies of society dedicated to the family and community. The Southern belle archetype is characterized by Southern hospitality, a cultivation of beauty, and a flirtatious yet chaste demeanor.

(The Life of a Plantation Lady)

A Beautiful young girl, gorgeously fitted out for a fancy ball at her own or a neighboring plantation, fits the image many people have of the typical pre-Civil War "Southern Belle", Her skirt was puffed with crinolines (a new fashion from France), and fullness and ruffles accentuated a tiny waist.

In fiction she was usually portrayed as coy and flirtatious, self-centered and without much sense of humor.

She was supposedly dependent upon the men in her life--husbands, fathers, and suitors--who flattered and protected her because she had been served by personal servants from childhood, her treatment of these household slaves has often been pictured as cruel and harsh.

In reality, the wealthy young woman of the antebellum South was usually quite well educated, either at northern schools or local institutions which provided "polite educations for ladies", In addition to reading, writing and arithmetic, she was taught French, music and art---all in recognition of the fact that advantageous marriage, involving sons and daughters of prominent families, were of primary importance to the southern economy.

Although a young girl's education emphasized the social graces and aristocratic values of politeness and intelligent conversation, her adult years often made more rigorous demands on her. Once married, she was likely to find herself mistress of a large estate, the management of might depend very largely on her.

The cruel and unjust institution of slavery, accepted by the southern woman as an unquestioned way of life required extensive organizational ability on her part.

The training and direction of the household slaves (a relatively privileged group compared to the field hands) was her responsibility her managerial skills were deamonstarted by the massive and lavish dinners, balls, and receptions for which she was celebrated.

Not only did she supervise a complex household which included her family and the working slaves too young, too old, or to ill to be productive; she also frequentally oversaw field operations during her husband's absence and was thus responsible for the management of a huge economic entity.

There were in fact, probably more real demands made upon her than on her wealthy city-dwelling sister in the north. Thus most Southern women needed sharp eyes and sharper minds to augment their "magnolia blossom" image until their treasured way of life was snuffed out by the Civil War.

(Ending)

And that is Southern Belles, told from the story of america cards daily life, next time I'm gonna talk about a controversial racial group I'm sure you know who I'm talking about since they could be consider related with African american slaves i suppose, and my first time going into the Indian Category which is gonna be one The League of Five Nations, so if you are into does then I'll see you when i get to them in my series, Bye now.