American Society in the Old Ozarks

Abstract

Chapter 6 takes an in-depth look at the society created by the antebellum pioneers of the Ozarks. This chapter discusses the development of the key denominations in the region’s formal religious establishment and efforts to establish public, private, and higher education institutions. In addition, Chapter 6 includes discussions of slavery, politics, and vigilante violence in the antebellum Ozarks, including the exploits of the so-called “Slicker War” that raged in parts of the region for several years. The fits and starts of society in the Ozarks reflected the struggles and challenges of an evolving American region.