The Ozarks stand as an often under researched piece of American political history. The region’s own political history, while often connected to the wider political trends of the United States, is nevertheless an anomaly when compared to events taking place around it. The primary purpose of this work is to both explain the reasons for the Ozarks’ particular political development, and to undercut the popular narrative surrounding the Ozarks as just another part of the wider American South. The project begins in 1861, when the Ozarks had become a center of unionist sentiment in a closely divided Arkansas, despite having supported the arch-southerner John Breckinridge in the 1860 presidential election just a year ago. In this, the research takes a close examination of the effect of slaveholding and the presence of enslaved populations on determining political affiliation in both the ante and postbellum Ozarks. The research then continues on to examine the suffragette movement in the region, where despite its traditionally conservative population, the region nevertheless provided strong backing to the 19th Amendment. Finally, this analysis delves into the regional divisions within the Ozarks, paying close attention to the role of the labor movement in the 20th century, and the increasing importance of education and population density in the 21st century in informing the voting habits of its population.

Gabriel Shoemaker would like to thank their faculty sponsor Flannery Burke for their support of this project.