West from Appomattox: The Reconstruction of America after the Civil WarYale University Press, 2007 M03 28 - 416 pages “This thoughtful, engaging examination of the Reconstruction Era . . . will be appealing . . . to anyone interested in the roots of present-day American politics” (Publishers Weekly). The story of Reconstruction is not simply about the rebuilding of the South after the Civil War. In many ways, the late nineteenth century defined modern America, as Southerners, Northerners, and Westerners forged a national identity that united three very different regions into a country that could become a world power. A sweeping history of the United States from the era of Abraham Lincoln to the presidency of Theodore Roosevelt, this engaging book tracks the formation of the American middle class while stretching the boundaries of our understanding of Reconstruction. Historian Heather Cox Richardson ties the North and West into the post–Civil War story that usually focuses narrowly on the South. By weaving together the experiences of real individuals who left records in their own words—from ordinary Americans such as a plantation mistress, a Native American warrior, and a labor organizer, to prominent historical figures such as Andrew Carnegie, Julia Ward Howe, Booker T. Washington, and Sitting Bull—Richardson tells a story about the creation of modern America. |
From inside the book
Results 1-5 of 63
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... leader Sitting Bull, among others, fulfilled my requirements; labor pioneer William Sylvis, who died in 1869, and leading black politician W. Beverly Nash, who left few records, did not. As I researched these individuals, I was ...
... leader Sitting Bull, among others, fulfilled my requirements; labor pioneer William Sylvis, who died in 1869, and leading black politician W. Beverly Nash, who left few records, did not. As I researched these individuals, I was ...
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... leaders that ''ex-Rebel soldiers, those who were in any sense leaders, will fare hard at the hands of the mountain Unionists.''≤∫ At the end of the war, Hampton bitterly lamented that ''four years of war—a war savage, bloody, and ...
... leaders that ''ex-Rebel soldiers, those who were in any sense leaders, will fare hard at the hands of the mountain Unionists.''≤∫ At the end of the war, Hampton bitterly lamented that ''four years of war—a war savage, bloody, and ...
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... leaders had rejected the free labor ideal, insisting instead that class interests in society inevitably led to conflict. Following David Ricardo and Thomas Malthus rather than Adam Smith, they argued that America was no di√erent from ...
... leaders had rejected the free labor ideal, insisting instead that class interests in society inevitably led to conflict. Following David Ricardo and Thomas Malthus rather than Adam Smith, they argued that America was no di√erent from ...
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... leader provided support for local bosses, and the president cultivated state leaders. Failure to provide patronage meant a lost election. In exchange for patronage, a government worker owed his superior both his vote and a prescribed ...
... leader provided support for local bosses, and the president cultivated state leaders. Failure to provide patronage meant a lost election. In exchange for patronage, a government worker owed his superior both his vote and a prescribed ...
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... leaders Johnson personally distrusted.∑ White southerners like Wade Hampton and Charley Allston greeted even these limited changes with fury. The national government's disfranchisement of the South's leaders and the emancipation of ...
... leaders Johnson personally distrusted.∑ White southerners like Wade Hampton and Charley Allston greeted even these limited changes with fury. The national government's disfranchisement of the South's leaders and the emancipation of ...
Contents
A New Middle Ground | |
Years of Unrest | |
Years of Consolidation | |
The Struggle Renewed | |
The Final Contest | |
Reunion | |
Epilogue | |
Notes | |
Index | |
Other editions - View all
West from Appomattox: The Reconstruction of America After the Civil War Heather Cox Richardson No preview available - 2007 |
West from Appomattox: The Reconstruction of America After the Civil War Heather Cox Richardson No preview available - 2007 |
Common terms and phrases
a√airs Addams African Americans Andrew Carnegie army believed Bu√alo businessmen called Carl Schurz Carnegie cattle Charles Goodnight Chicago citizens Civil Comanche Congress corruption cowboy Cuba Cuban demanded Democrats di√erent disa√ected e√ort economic harmony election farmers federal free labor freedmen Gompers Goodnight Grover Cleveland Harper’s Weekly idea Indians individualism industry insisted Johnson Julia Ward July land legislation live Love man’s March McKinley ment middle-class million MOA-Cornell Nat Love North northern o√ered o≈ce o≈cers o≈cials organized political politicians postwar Powderly president protect Quanah Quanah Parker radical railroad recalled reconstruction reform Roosevelt Samuel Gompers Schurz seemed Senate Sitting Bull slavery slaves society soldiers South Carolina southern whites special interests strike su√ered su√rage tari√s taxes Theodore Roosevelt tion Union University Press vote voters Wade Hampton wages Washington wealth West western white southerners women workers York York World