ERIC FONER

From the preeminent historian of Reconstruction (New York Times Book Review), an updated abridged edition of Reconstruction, the prize-winning classic work of Civil War history on the post-Civil War period which shaped modern America.Reconstruction chronicles the way in which Americansblack and whiteresponded to the unprecedented changes unleashed by the war and the end of slavery, a pivotal era in African American history. It addresses the quest of emancipated slaves searching for economic autonomy and equal citizenship, and describes the remodeling of Southern society; the evolution of racial attitudes and patterns of race relations; and the emergence of a national state possessing vastly expanded authority and one committed, for a time, to the principle of equal rights for all Americans.This masterful treatment of one of the most complex periods of American history (New Republic) remains the standard work on the wrenching post-Civil War periodan era of Southern history whose legacy still reverberates in the United States today.Foners definitive account examines every facet of this transformative period in U.S. history:The Centrality of the Black Experience: Follows the quest of emancipated slaves for economic autonomy and equal citizenship, treating them as active agents in the making of a new America. A Remodeled Southern Society: Investigates the evolution of racial attitudes, complex patterns of race relations, and the emergence of a new class structure from the ashes of the Old South. The Rise of the National State: Traces the emergence of a national government with vastly expanded authority, committed for a time to the principle of equal rights for all Americans. A Definitive Historical Account: Draws on the latest scholarship to overturn outdated interpretations and provide the standard work on one of the most complex and controversial eras of the American past.

From the "preeminent historian of Reconstruction" (New York Times Book Review), the prize-winning classic work on the post-Civil War period that shaped modern America.Eric Foners "masterful treatment of one of the most complex periods of American history" (New Republic) redefined how the post-Civil War period was viewed. Reconstruction chronicles the way in which Americansblack and whiteresponded to the unprecedented changes unleashed by the American Civil War and the end of slavery. This comprehensive book addresses the ways in which the emancipated slaves quest for economic autonomy and equal citizenship shaped the political agenda of Reconstruction; the remodeling of Southern society and the place of planters, merchants, and small farmers within it; the evolution of racial attitudes and patterns of race relations; and the emergence of a national state possessing vastly expanded authority and committed, for a time, to the principle of equal rights for all Americans. This "smart book of enormous strengths" (Boston Globe) remains the standard work on this wrenching period of American historyan era whose legacy still reverberates in the United States today.This definitive account of the Reconstruction era explores the pivotal questions and conflicts that redefined the nation:The Black Experience: Delve into the ways emancipated slaves quest for economic autonomy and equal citizenship actively shaped the political agenda of the post-war South. A Remodeled Southern Society: Understand the complex remodeling of the South, including the changing roles of planters, merchants, and small farmers after the end of slavery. Race Relations and Attitudes: Examine the evolution of racial attitudes and the new patterns of race relations that emerged from the conflict, changing the social fabric of the country. The Rise of the National State: Learn about the emergence of a national state possessing vastly expanded authority and its temporary commitment to the principle of equal rights for all Americans. Definitive Historical Scholarship: Discover why this "masterful treatment of one of the most complex periods of American history" remains the standard, prize-winning work on the subject.

From one of our most distinguished historians, a new examination of the vitally important years of Emancipation and Reconstruction during and immediately following the Civil Wara necessary reconsideration that emphasizes the eras political and cultural meaning for todays America.In Forever Free, Eric Foneroverturns numerous assumptions growing out of the traditional understanding of the period, which is based almost exclusively on white sources and shaped by (often unconscious) racism. He presents the period as a time of determination, especially on the part of recently emancipated black Americans, to put into effect the principles of equal rights and citizenship for all.Drawing on a wide range of long-neglected documents, he places a new emphasis on the centrality of the black experience to an understanding of the era. We see African Americans as active agents in overthrowing slavery, in helping win the Civil War, andeven more activelyin shaping Reconstruction and creating a legacy long obscured and misunderstood. Foner makes clear how, by wars end, freed slaves in the South built on networks of church and family in order to exercise their right of suffrage as well as gain access to education, land, and employment.He shows us that the birth of the Ku Klux Klan and renewed acts of racial violence were retaliation for the progress made by blacks soon after the war. He refutes lingering misconceptions about Reconstruction, including the attribution of its ills to corrupt African American politicians and carpetbaggers, and connects it to the movements for civil rights and racial justice.Joshua Browns illustrated commentary on the eras graphic art and photographs complements the narrative. He offers a unique portrait of how Americans envisioned their world and time.Forever Free is an essential contribution to our understanding of the events that fundamentally reshaped American life after the Civil Wara persuasive reading of history that transforms our sense of the era from a time of failure and despair to a threshold of hope and achievement.

Un acercamiento crítico a la historia de uno de los países más poderosos de la tierra.Tomando como pretexto la idea de libertad y cómo se articuló a lo largo de la historia, este libro permite otra mirada a EEUU y a su pasado. Es decir, se trata de mostrar una historia estadounidense alejada del triunfalismo habitual. De esta forma este libro ha sido reconocido como uno de los mas importantes de las ultimas decadas.Desde los padres fundadores hasta la Segunda Guerra Mundial y el fin de la Guerra Fria, Eric Foner acerca a los lectores de una forma inusual a la historia de uno de los paises mas poderosos de la tierra desde una perspectiva critica y democratica. Eric Foner es uno de los historiadores estadounidenses mas prestigiosos. Nacido en 1943, es catedratico de Historia en la Universidad de Columbia, una de las mas importantes del pais y presidente de la Asociacion de Historiadores de EEUU Su amplia obra es reconocida en el mundo academico y entre los lectores. Foner es una autoridad mundial en el campo de la historia americana y las relaciones sociales.