Urbanization in the South

The urbanization of the South has taken place in two phases. Lasting from about 1880 to the beginning of World War II, the first phase saw the emergence of towns and small cities, with most of the new urban population coming from the surrounding countryside. The second phase, which began during World War II and continues today, has seen the development of large metropolitan areas, with the population coming not only from the surrounding countryside, but also from other areas of the United States. Both phases were rooted in larger economic forces, but their demographic and linguistic consequences were different.