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 57
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... wanted special government aid, which, if given, would destroy the American system of evenhanded government. At the same time, because they defined themselves as true Americans, members of this middle class willingly harnessed a growing ...
... wanted special government aid, which, if given, would destroy the American system of evenhanded government. At the same time, because they defined themselves as true Americans, members of this middle class willingly harnessed a growing ...
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... wanted them ''to be able to put in a crop to carry themselves and their families through the next winter.''≤ Lee could surrender only his own men, but his army was the pride of the Confederacy and its demise signaled the end of the war ...
... wanted them ''to be able to put in a crop to carry themselves and their families through the next winter.''≤ Lee could surrender only his own men, but his army was the pride of the Confederacy and its demise signaled the end of the war ...
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... wanted.'' The northern army in 1861 would have been hard pressed to provide for an unexpected 25,000 starving men, but by 1865 it could do so automatically. The need to equip armies of hundreds of thousands of men with food, clothing ...
... wanted.'' The northern army in 1861 would have been hard pressed to provide for an unexpected 25,000 starving men, but by 1865 it could do so automatically. The need to equip armies of hundreds of thousands of men with food, clothing ...
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... wanted Indians out of their way, but it was not clear how that should be accomplished. Westerners hated the Indians and wanted them destroyed. In April 1865, under the headline ''the indians must be exterminated,'' the Nevada Daily ...
... wanted Indians out of their way, but it was not clear how that should be accomplished. Westerners hated the Indians and wanted them destroyed. In April 1865, under the headline ''the indians must be exterminated,'' the Nevada Daily ...
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... wanted the government to guarantee black rights, and the radical white southern Democrats like Hampton, who wanted to revive the prewar southern way of life. If he could draw moderates of both sections to his standard by promising to ...
... wanted the government to guarantee black rights, and the radical white southern Democrats like Hampton, who wanted to revive the prewar southern way of life. If he could draw moderates of both sections to his standard by promising to ...
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