Revisiting The Reconstruction Era on the Eat My Words Shelves

This collection of books comes mainly from the depths of an old friend’s Uncle’s house. From deep within the basement, shrouded in dust, these writings are about the American failure and small successes of the Reconstruction Era. Titles like An American Crisis, From Blood Shirt to Full Dinner Pail, and The Avenger Takes His Place all to have an ominous ring to them. I don’t remember much about the Reconstruction Era from history class. I think the lessons geared more towards the Civil War years, not the time that followed. What kid wants to hear about a bunch of old men sitting around making laws? The problem is the civil and economic fallout from the Reconstruction Era was long-lasting.

The Reconstruction Era was a time of lawmaking, of democracy, of empowerment. Northerners were ready to punish the Southerners and to start finding a solution for newly freed slaves. It looked to rectify the winnings and great repercussions, in lives and money, of the Civil War. Famously, Congress overturned a Presidential veto for the first time ever with the Civil Rights Bills, which instated the 14th and 15th amendments. With all it’s idealism, radical reconstruction very quickly began to fail. The realities of the economy quickly overtook the need to give African-Americans a real shot at participating in the American Dream. Black men got to vote; some were even elected into office in the new southern military states. But racist laws were quickly put into place to limit the mobility, economic and civic, of Black people. These are the laws that would later be fought against in the Civil Rights movement. There was also the rise of the KKK and many blatant acts of violence towards Black communities. But liberals in the north needed to move on. Their interest in advocating for Black people gave way to their need to handle the government. It seemed too hard to make another group of people truly equal, so they left them behind, even after such a bloody and costly war. The lesson to be learned from Reconstruction seems to be in order to really be free in America, you have to be able to participate in capitalism. And as the country fell into another recession, Reconstruction and its ideals fell away, once again prioritizing money over people. The country moved on from a terrible war with a country barely glued back together.

History buffs always have an affinity for a particular era— WWII, The American Revolution, The Civil War even. Eras that have been written about time and time again, recreated in fictional accounts and movies. These famous historical eras have been iconized and immortalized. History, as a genre, serves as our record, a living testament. But history, and its accounts, can be testy subjects. Who writes history? We know, as logical and smart people, that we can’t write about everything, something gets left behind in order to construct a linear and compelling narrative. History has implicit bias. And often in American history, it is rewritten to ignore the country’s failure. And maybe that’s what history buffs are getting right. By lining up a bunch of different books, watching every documentary, visiting every museum, the cracks and fissures in our narratives can start to crack. It starts to show us, as readers and life long learners, where the responsibility falls on us to teach ourselves what we were never taught before.

There is drama and excitement in the Reconstruction Era. There is darkness and unhealed collective wounds too. It is not an era to be forgotten about. Its impact shows how it deserves more investigation. Short-lived presidencies, radically good and bad laws passed— these may not be the things of movies but certainly a few good reads could do the trick.