Gwinnett County, Georgia, and the Transformation of the American South, 1818-2018 edited by Michael Gagnon and Matthew Hild

Gwinnett County is the southernmost Georgia county included in the Appalachian Regional Commission. It has always been characterized by both mountain and more Southern geography, including, for example, both a Cherokee presence and the historical cultivation of cotton. From its rural beginnings, it became first suburban, and has now become a mostly-urban part of the Atlanta metropolitan area. Two dimensions of the title of this book stand out. First, it is a county history, but one that provides a state-wide and even national context. Second, the county’s history of white racist reaction to the Cherokee and to African-Americans is not exceptional, although clearly virulent. The fifteen essays collected here are all by professional historians, but represent a plethora of specializations which results in a rich tapestry. “This volume breaks the mold for the traditional history of a county by placing the story within the transformation not only of a specific region within Georgia but the South as a whole. It does so in a convincing, coherent way.” -- Paul M. Pressly. “Gagnon and Hild are to be commended for assembling such a broad spectrum of topics that offer deep insights into Gwinnett County, and frankly, Georgia, history.” -- George Justice. Co-editor Michael Gagnon teaches history at Georgia Gwinnett College and co-editor Matthew Hild teaches history at Georgia Tech. Athens: The University of Georgia Press, 2022. 268 pages with an Index, charts, graphs, illustrations and photos. The individual essays have their own notes. Trade paperback.