Wartime Reconstruction: Imagining the Aftermath and a Second American Republic
This session highlights Lincoln's 1864 re-election as a critical turning point, secured by timely Union victories. It concludes the war narrative with the Appomattox surrender, leaving open the complex questions surrounding Reconstruction and the future of the South.
The Civil War and Reconstruction (HIST 119)
This lecture begins with a central, if often overlooked, turning point in the Civil War--the re-election of Abraham Lincoln in 1864. Although the concerted efforts of northern Peace Democrats and a palpable war weariness among the electorate made Lincoln's victory uncertain, timely Union victories in Atlanta and Mobile in September of 1864 secured Lincoln's re-election in November. This lecture concludes Professor Blight's section on the war, following Lee and Grant to Appomattox Courthouse, and describing the surrender of Confederate forces. The nature of Reconstruction and the future of the South, however, remained open questions in April of 1865.
To Appomattox and Beyond: The End of the War and a Search for Meanings
Next · Lecture 21Andrew Johnson and the Radicals: A Contest over the Meaning of Reconstruction