I'll Take My Stand: The South and the Agrarian Tradition (Library of Southern Civilization)

First published in 1930, the essays in this manifesto represent one of the most outstanding cultural documents in the history of the South. Written by twelve Southerners — Donald Davidson, John Gould Fletcher, Henry Blue Kline, Lyle H. Lanier, Stark Young, Allen Tate, Andrew Nelson Lytle, Herman Clarence Nixon, Frank Lawrence Owsley, John Crowe Ransom, John Donald Wade, and Robert Penn Warren — these essays passionately defend individualism against the rise of baseless conformity in an increasingly mechanized and dehumanized society.

A New Introduction by Susan V. Donaldson

In her insightful introduction, Susan V. Donaldson reflects on the legacy of the Southern Agrarians. While their efforts to revive the South as a traditional, stable, and unified region might have ultimately failed, they ignited enduring debates on:

• History
• Literature
• Race
• Gender
• Regional identity

These discussions remain highly relevant today, as controversies surrounding Confederate flags, monuments, slavery, and public memory continue to shape the cultural and political landscape.