Why Do Southerners Eat Grits?

Albion’s Seed: Four British Folkways in America

by David Hackett Fisher

In 900-some fascinating pages, with loads of footnotes and charts, David Hackett Fischer details four waves of British immigrants — where they came from and where they settled. Each wave of newcomers brought along its own distinct ideas about architecture, cooking, gender relationships, rank, recreation, religion and work. Fischer argues that these differences contributed to our country’s strong notions of a free society. (And yes, he also explains why Southerners eat grits.)