Southern Belle

The Civil War may be long over but the spirit of rebellion is hard to extinguish even in something as innocent as a girls' summer camp. SOUTHERN BELLE examines the 1861 Athenaeum Girls' School where young women eagerly sign up to become that iconic and romantic image of Southern identity: the Southern belle, replete with hoop skirt, hat and gloves, singing the region's anthem, Dixie. While the young women are eager to learn the "art" of being a lady by practicing penmanship and learning how to deep curtsy, a larger agenda for the camp appears to lurk under the surface.

The teachers, all of whom work for no compensation, hope to instill genteel manners and build pride in Southern heritage. They have also carefully selected the time period so they can share the "truth" with the next generation about why the South seceded from the Union. For them, the Civil War had little to do with slavery and everything to do with states' rights and unfair taxation.