"Reconstruction: A Reference Guide" covers the entire period of Reconstruction (1863 1877) with a special emphasis on the struggle for social and political equality in the post-Civil War South. The book's analytical essays, selection of primary documents, and biographies of key participants give readers an understanding of social, political, and economic changes that occurred during this important period as well as provide opportunities to explore more specific issues and debates.

Synthesizing and building on the work of recent scholars, the book documents how the central struggles of...