Cannon Mills and Kannapolis : persistent paternalism in a textile town / Timothy W. Vanderburg.

Includes bibliographies and index.

Acknowledgments -- Introduction -- The founding of Cannon Mills and Kannapolis : paternalism established -- James William Cannon : early influences and the emergence of a new South industrialist -- The founding of Kannapolis : expansion and paternalism -- Cannon Mills, Kannapolis, and Blacks : a reflection of racial attitudes in the South -- The growth and maturity of Cannon Mills and Kannapolis : paternalism solidifies amid challenges -- A time of upheaval : progressivism and World War I -- Postwar downturn, labor unrest, and new management -- New leadership, market decline, and consolidation -- Paternalism expanded : Charles Cannon and welfare work -- The Great Depression, the new deal, and Cannon Mills -- Cannon Mills in World War II -- Cannon Mills and postwar America : market maturity and the loss of brand loyalty -- Cannon Mills and operation Dixie -- The danger of larger forces : war, imports, and government policies -- The decline of Cannon Mills and paternalism -- Cannon Mills in the 1960s : the paternalistic firm in a modern world -- The civil rights movement, federal interference, and the weakening of paternalism -- Cannon Mills after Charles Cannon : new leadership, union vote, and the continuation of paternalism -- David Murdock, modern management, and the demise of paternalism -- Fieldcrest Cannon, pillowtex, bankruptcy, and the return of David Murdock -- Conclusion -- Notes -- Bibliography -- Index.

Cannon Mills was once the country and rsquo;s largest manufacturer of household textiles, and in many ways it exemplified the textile industry and paternalism in the postbellum South. At the same time, however, its particular brand of paternalism was much stronger and more enduring than elsewhere, and it remained in place long after most of the industry had transitioned to modern, bureaucratic management. In Cannon Mills and Kannapolis, Tim Vanderburg critically examines the rise of the Cannon Mills textile company and the North Carolina community that grew up around it. Beginning with the founding of the company and the establishment of its mill town by James W. Cannon, the author draws on a wealth of primary sources to show how, under Cannon and rsquo;s paternalism, workers developed a collective identity and for generations accepted the limits this paternalism placed on their freedom. After exploring the growth and maturation of Cannon Mills against the backdrop of World War I and its aftermath, Vanderburg examines the impact of the Great Depression and World War II and then analyzes the postwar market forces that, along with federal policies and unionization, set in motion the industry and rsquo;s shift from a paternalistic model to bureaucratic authority. The final section of the book traces the decline of paternalism and the eventual decline of Cannon Mills when the death of the founder and rsquo;s son, Charles Cannon, led to three successive sales of the company. Pillowtex, its final owner, filed for bankruptcy and was liquidated in 2003. Vanderburg uses Cannon Mills and rsquo;s intriguing history to help answer some of the larger questions involving industry and paternalism in the postbellum South. Complete with maps and historic photographs, this authoritative, highly readable account of one company and the town it created adds a captivating layer of complexity to our understanding of southern capitalism.

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