southern gentry

Southern gentry refers to the wealthy landowning class of the American South, particularly before the Civil War.

These families typically owned plantations worked by enslaved people and cultivated an aristocratic self-image emphasizing honor, hospitality, and refined manners.

The term often carries nostalgic or romanticized connotations: She came from old southern gentry.

Modern usage may be ironic or critical, acknowledging the brutal economic foundation beneath the genteel veneer.