Reconstruction

Archival Summary & Scope

Winner of the 1988 Los Angeles Times Book Prize, Eric Foner's **Reconstruction** is acclaimed as the definitive, "masterful treatment" (New Republic) of the post-Civil War period that shaped modern America. Foner, hailed as the "preeminent historian of Reconstruction" (New York Times Book Review), chronicles how Black and white Americans responded to the profound changes unleashed by the Civil War and the end of slavery. This comprehensive work explores the emancipated slaves' quest for economic autonomy and equal citizenship, the remodeling of Southern society, the evolution of racial attitudes and relations, and the emergence of a national state committed to equal rights. A "classic work" that redefined the field, **Reconstruction** remains the standard account of this complex era whose legacy continues to reverberate today.