We are currently seeking a third participant for a panel proposal we plan to submit to the 2012 Southern Historical Association in Mobile, Alabama.

Our papers explore the impact of the World War I defense effort on the political and economic structure of the Deep South. One paper investigates the impact of federal economic investment on primarily agricultural communities, particularly the funding and construction of munitions/fertilizer plants in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. A second paper studies the "Cotton Crisis" that preceded direct American involvement in the conflict and suggests that the crisis highlighted the power of southern Democrats in the federal government and the influence of local communities on national and international relations.

We welcome all proposals concerning the domestic impact of the war on the South, though papers that investigate the interaction between southerners and the federal government, or the localized dislocations of international conflict, would be preferred. The deadline for panel proposals is September 1, 2011, so please send a CV and proposal as soon as possible to the address below.

Thank you,

Matthew L. Downs, PhD
mldowns1980@gmail.com