The Death of Reconstruction: Race, Labor, and Politics in the Post-Civil War North, 1865-1901

The Death of Reconstruction by Heather Cox Richardson is a groundbreaking historical examination that challenges the long-held belief that Southern racism was the sole cause of the demise of Reconstruction.

Instead, Richardson argues that class played a critical role in the end of Reconstruction, with Northern support for freed blacks and Reconstruction weakening as growing critiques of the economy and calls for redistribution of wealth emerged.

Through meticulous research using newspapers, public speeches, popular tracts, Congressional reports, and private correspondence, Richardson traces the changing attitudes of Northerners towards African Americans from idealized images in 1861 to the publication of Booker T.

Washington's Up from Slavery in 1901.

This comprehensive study reveals a growing backlash against those who believed that inequalities should be addressed through working-class action, and the emergence of an American middle class that championed individual productivity and saw African Americans as a threat to their prosperity.

With its fresh perspective on American race and labor history, The Death of Reconstruction offers a compelling argument for the importance of class in post-Civil War integration efforts.

Don't miss out on this thought-provoking and insightful examination of one of America's most pivotal periods in history!