Historical Dictionary of the Civil War and Reconstruction (Historical Dictionaries of U.S. Politics and Political Eras) - Hardcover

Richter, William L.

9780810845848: Historical Dictionary of the Civil War and Reconstruction (Historical Dictionaries of U.S. Politics and Political Eras)

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0810845849 ISBN 13: 9780810845848

Publisher: Scarecrow Press, 2004

The importance of the Civil War and Reconstruction in the history of the United States cannot be overstated. There was a very real possibility that the union could have been sundered, resulting in a very different American history, and probably, world history. But the union was held together by tough and determined leaders and by the economic muscle of the North. While not always a period to be proud of, it did have higher goals and compelling ends.

This one-volume dictionary, with more than 800 entries covering the significant events, persons, politics, and economic and social themes in the U.S. Civil War and Reconstruction, is a research tool for all levels of readers from high school and up. The extensive chronology, introductory essay, dictionary entries, and comprehensive bibliography introduce and lead the reader through the military and non-military actions of one of the most pivotal events in American history.

Substantial coverage is given to the time that followed the Civil War: Reconstruction. This was a period construed in many different ways by the individuals involved, many of whom had little concern for the impact of their acts on others, and even fewer who were interested in the plight of the newly enfranchised blacks, for whom the war had supposedly been fought. While the states were once again "united," many of the postwar efforts divided different segments of the population and failed to achieve their goals in an era too often remembered for carpetbaggers and scalawags, and Congressional imbroglios and incompetent government.

No matter how one looks at it, the Civil War continues to affect the politics, constitutionalism, and societal norms of the United States in an irrevocable way, and it probably always will. It was a very personal war, not fought by machines, but by men, affecting countless Americans who have one or more Civil War veterans hidden in their family trees. It's a war modern enough to be relevant to today's military interests, yet gentlemanly enough to be

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About the Author:

William L. Richter has researched and written extensively in the areas of the Antebellum South, the Civil War, and Reconstruction. He is the author ofThe Army in Texas during Reconstruction, 1865 - 1870 and he is coauthor of Fascinating People and Astounding Events in American History.

From Booklist:

Any event as pivotal as the American Civil War is going to be constantly reviewed, reanalyzed, and reconsidered. This extremely readable volume by a Ph.D. in history from Louisiana State University includes new interpretations of events and individuals. Part of the publisher's Historical Dictionaries of U.S. Historical Eras series, it seeks to place the war in context by encompassing the years 1844-1877.

The dictionary's more than 800 entries are organized alphabetically, with numerous see references to main entries. Key personnel, battles, legislation, legal cases, and elections are all covered. The main figures (Lincoln, Davis) are represented with lengthy, multipage biographies, with lesser figures receiving approximately one page. Even minor but notable events, such as the Red River Campaign, Colfax Race Riot (1874), and Coushatta Massacre, are included. Controversial individuals--Lee and Grant, for example--are portrayed in balance, and the work takes a new look at stock characters, such as Carpetbaggers and scalawags, who may not have been the total villains as usually portrayed. A selected bibliography, divided by subject headings, covers more than 200 pages. The dictionary concludes with a selection of primary documents.

Some omissions are apparent. There is no entry on the Hunley, the first submarine in history to sink a ship, nor on General Leonidas Polk, "the Fighting Bishop." Women who served as nurses, among them Clara Barton, Kate Cumming, and Dorothea Dix, are lumped into one article, Nurses, rather than meriting their own entries. Other notable women, such as Belle Boyd, Mary B. Chesnut, and Harriet Tubman, are not mentioned.

The number of reference works on the Civil War grows almost daily. Although not as expansive as ABC-CLIO's Encyclopedia of the American Civil War: A Political, Social, and Military History (2000), this book should be added to reference collections of academic and large public libraries. The readable style, balanced coverage, and authoritative scholarship make it an important work. Abbie Vestal Landry
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