Reforging the White Republic: Race, Religion, and American Nationalism, 1865–1898 (Conflicting Worlds: New Dimensions of the American Civil War)

During Reconstruction, former abolitionists in the North had a golden opportunity to pursue true racial justice and permanent reform in America.

But why, after the sacrifice made by thousands of Civil War patriots to arrive at this juncture, did the moment slip away, leaving many whites throughout the North and South more racist than before? Edward J.

Blum takes a fresh look at this question in Reforging the White Republic: Race, Religion, and American Nationalism, 1865-1898, where he focuses on the vital role that religion played in reunifying northern and southern whites into a racially segregated society.