Ain’t That America? History and Culture in the Country

Since 1920 the number of farmers in America has been dropping, yet the place of farming — and of rural life generally — in the American mind is stronger than ever. The images we encounter in country songs, labels at the grocery store and in country-fried restaurants tell us that to live the rural life is to live the most American of lives: to work honestly, for long hours and for mostly internal rewards. Our culture presents farmers as nothing short of heroes. But this was not always the case. This talk charts the rise, fall and rise again of the American farmer and rural life in the American consciousness with images from music videos, snippets of song lyrics, Cracker Barrel billboards and even some Congressional testimony. It seeks to answer the questions, why does this particular image of the farmer hold such sway, and what do the changes in that image over time tell us about Americans’ insecure relationship with its history?

Speakers Expertise:

Jim Giesen has been researching and teaching American history at Mississippi State University for twenty years. His interests are in the agricultural, rural, and environmental histories of the America South, and he has written about everything from the boll weevil and the blues to tourism and civil rights. His books and articles have won awards from the Southern Historical Association and in 2018 he was named a John Grisham Master Teacher, MSU’s highest teaching honor.

Speaker

James “Jim” Giesen
Professor of History, Mississippi State

(662) 325-3604