Description
Book SynopsisThe pivotal era of Reconstruction has inspired an outstanding historical literature over the decades from W.E.B. DuBois'' Black Reconstruction in America in 1935 through Eric Foner''s Reconstruction in 1988. The resolution of long-running interpretive debates has shifted the issues at stake in Reconstruction scholarship, but the topic has remained a vital venue for original exploration of the regional and national history of the United States. In Reconstructions: New Perspectives on the Postbellum United States, eight rising historians survey the latest generation of scholarly work and point to promising directions for future research, from cultural and gender history to Western history, legal history, and diplomatic history. Offering an expansive approach to the chronological definition of the postwar era, this volume is an essential read on this crucial period in American history.
Trade ReviewThis is a detailed, thorough, and exciting new survey of the discipline. The modestly sized volume pack eight dense essays that deliver intense, concentrated, and provocative reviews of the state of the field.... Everyone working in the field should consult this important book. * Richard Zuczek, Civil War Book Review *
Whether historians continue to expand the definition of Reconstruction, this volume will be essential reading for those who wish either an introduction or a refresher course. * Jane Turner Censer, American Historical Review *
In a series of topical essays, the authors make it clear that the field is not only alive and well but extraordinarily innovative. From now on, Reconstruction studies must begin here. * George M. Frederickson, author of Racism: A Short History *
These are superb essays, original, thoughtful, and intellectually exciting. The authors, all expert guides to their fields, broaden our sights and open new questions. Together, they help us gain our bearings in some of the most confusing and important years of the United States. * Edward L. Ayers, University of Virginia *
Table of ContentsIntroduction ; 1. "A General Remodeling of Every Thing": Economy and Race in the Post-Emancipation South ; 2. Black Agency After Slavery ; 3. North and West of Reconstruction: Studies in Political Economy ; 4. Reconstruction Politics and the Politics of Reconstruction ; 5. The Past as a Foreign Country: Reconstruction, Inside and Out ; 6. Reconstruction as a Constitutional Crisis ; 7. Reconstruction in Intellectual and Cultural Life ; 8. Civil War Remembrance as Reconstruction ; Index
