by 1964, the democratic lock on the south remained strong, but cracks began to appear. strom thurmond was the most prominent democrat to switch to the republican party. one long-term cause was that the region was becoming more like the rest of the nation and could not long stand apart in terms of racial segregation. modernization brought factories, businesses and larger cities as well as millions of migrants from the north, as far more people graduated from high school and college. meanwhile, the cotton and tobacco basis of the traditional south faded away as former farmers moved to town or commuted to factory jobs. segregation, requiring separate dining and lodging arrangements for employees, was a serious obstacle to business development.