The Civil War tore America apart. The ensuing era of Reconstruction sewed it back together. In this vivid look at the popular culture of the era, Browne and Kreiser examine how Americans coped with the trials and tribulations of this cataclysmic period.

Narrative essays examine the lives of everyday Americans--young and old, Northern and Southern, soldier and civilian--along with the major traditions and trends in every facet of the time's popular culture. Dime novels, illustrated newspapers, iceboxes, patriotic hymns and rebel rhythms, minstrel shows, and professional...