Reconstruction: America's Unfinished Revolution, 1863-1877

Short Review: This is an era that I just didn't have much historical background on. This was the book that several people recommended to me as the best starting place. I picked up the audiobook because that is what is most likely to get done quickly. The audiobook is the first edition. I would have preferred a later edition because I would like to think some of the repetition and was cleaned up. But I don't know.

The audiobook was poorly done. Lots of mispronounced words, bad editing and uneven sound quality. I got through it and it wasn't the worst audiobook I have listened to, but I certainly can't highly recommend it.

The main book was very helpful. The common perception is that Reconstruction was a failed experiment. But Foner suggests that it was cut short because of an inability for many Whites to put away their understanding of White Supremacy. Whether Whites supported slavery or not, many Whites assumed that former slaves were little better than animals and could not be fully equal.

In addition there was serious economic problems in the country as a result of the war, high government and personal debt, rampant economic speculation and government graft. The graft is largely assumed to be only on the Republican side, but it was on all sides. The Republicans were punished for it because they were in power, as they should have been. But the Democrats were not really interested in putting an end to graft but getting into power.

And there was reluctance to enforce Black voting right, especially after the rise of the KKK. So while many Northern Whites said they were for Black voting rights, there was not any interest in federal enforcement of Black voting rights so effectively, political violence was the final nail in the coffin of Reconstruction.

There is far more here than I can easily summarize. But this was very helpful and gave me a number of areas to explore further.

My 2000 word review is on my blog at http://bookwi.se/reconstruction/