Antebellum

Barrington Hall, North/front side, circa 1842 example of Greek Revival Temple Architecture, National Register of Historic Places, Roswell, Georgia, USA --Galen Parks Smith
Barrington Hall, North/front side, circa 1842. Example of Greek Revival Temple Architecture, National Register of Historic Places, Roswell, Georgia, USA –Galen Parks Smith

The adjective antebellum [an-tee-bel-uhm], meaning “before the war,” is from Latin ante, “before,” and bellum, “war.” In U. S. usage, the word is most commonly used to refer to the period between the Revolutionary War and the War Between the States (1861-1864).

One speaks of ante-bellum society and ante-bellum architecture. Margaret Mitchell’s novel Gone With the Wind begins in the ante-bellum South.

Margaret Mitchells story begins in the antebellum South.
Margaret Mitchell’s novel, __Gone with the Wind__(1936), begins in the antebellum South. This scene is from the 1939 movie based on the novel. Vivian Leigh played the part of Scarlett O’Hara.