▁observed ▁Jim ▁Crow ▁laws ▁during ▁the ▁American ▁seg reg ation ▁era . ▁ ▁Dem ograph ics ▁ ▁Most ▁popul ous ▁states ▁The ▁most ▁popul ous ▁states ▁in ▁the ▁region ▁are ▁Florida ▁( 2 0 , 6 1 2 , 4 3 9 ), ▁followed ▁by ▁Georgia ▁( 1 0 , 3 1 0 , 3 7 1 ) ▁and ▁North ▁Carolina ▁( 1 0 , 1 4 6 , 7 8 8 ). ▁ ▁Culture ▁ ▁The ▁pre domin ant ▁culture ▁of ▁the ▁S out heast ▁has ▁its ▁orig ins ▁with ▁the ▁settlement ▁of ▁the ▁region ▁by ▁British ▁colon ists ▁and ▁African ▁slaves ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 7 th ▁century , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁large ▁groups ▁of ▁English , ▁Sc ots ▁and ▁Ul ster - Sc ots , ▁Germ ans , ▁Spanish , ▁French , ▁and ▁Ac ad ians ▁in ▁succeed ing ▁centuries . ▁Since ▁the ▁late ▁ 2 0 th ▁century ▁the ▁New ▁South ▁has ▁emer ged ▁as ▁the ▁fast est ▁growing ▁area ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁econom ically . ▁Mult icult ural ism ▁has ▁become ▁main stream ▁in ▁the ▁S out he astern ▁states . ▁African ▁Americans ▁remain ▁a ▁dominant ▁dem ographic ▁at ▁around ▁ 3 0 % ▁of ▁the ▁total ▁population ▁of ▁the ▁S out heast . ▁The ▁New ▁South ▁is ▁built ▁upon ▁the ▁metropol itan ▁areas ▁along ▁the ▁Inter state ▁ 8 5 ▁cor rid or . ▁C ities ▁include ▁B irmingham , ▁Atlanta , ▁Green ville , ▁Spart an burg , ▁Charlotte , ▁Gre ens bor o ,