Why read The Wars of Reconstruction?

Book cover of The Wars of Reconstruction: The Brief, Violent History of America's Most Progressive Era

Book description

By 1870, just five years after Confederate surrender and thirteen years after the Dred Scott decision ruled blacks ineligible for citizenship, Congressional action had ended slavery and given the vote to black men. That same year, Hiram Revels and Joseph Hayne Rainey became the first African-American U.S. senator and congressman…

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American history

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Why read it?

1 author picked The Wars of Reconstruction as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Fergus M. Bordewich

Author

Nearly fifty years ago, Eric Foner jumpstarted popular interest in the post-Civil War era with his magisterial Reconstruction.

Egerton’s engagingly-written work is the best recent history of the period, and a fitting heir to Foner’s accomplishment. I’m impressed by how much new scholarship Egerton incorporates, particularly on the activism of African Americans, and I like how clearly he shows how forward-looking legislation on education, election law, and civil rights advanced by the architects of Reconstruction set the stage for enlightened policies that would only come to full fruition in the 20th century. Reconstruction was ultimately choked by conservative…

From Fergus' list on the bloody history of Reconstruction.