No historical event has left as deep an imprint on America's collective memory as the Civil War. In the war's aftermath; Americans had to embrace and cast off a traumatic past. David Blight explores the perilous path of remembering and forgetting; and reveals its tragic costs to race relations and America's national reunion.In 1865; confronted with a ravaged landscape and a torn America; the North and South began a slow and painful process of reconciliation. The ensuing decades witnessed the triumph of a culture of reunion; which downplayed sectional division and emphasized the heroics of a battle between noble men of the Blue and the Gray. Nearly lost in national culture were the moral crusades over slavery that ignited the war; the presence and participation of African Americans throughout the war; and the promise of emancipation that emerged from the war. Race and Reunion is a history of how the unity of white America was purchased through the increasing segregation of black and white memory of the Civil War. Blight delves deeply into the shifting meanings of death and sacrifice; Reconstruction; the romanticized South of literature; soldiers' reminiscences of battle; the idea of the Lost Cause; and the ritual of Memorial Day. He resurrects the variety of African-American voices and memories of the war and the efforts to preserve the emancipationist legacy in the midst of a culture built on its denial. Blight's sweeping narrative of triumph and tragedy; romance and realism; is a compelling tale of the politics of memory; of how a nation healed from civil war without justice. By the early twentieth century; the problems of race and reunion were locked in mutual dependence; a painful legacy that continues to haunt us today.
#828675 in Books 1991-09-15 1991-09-15Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.44 x .80 x 5.50l; .80 #File Name: 0671747452384 pages
Review
20 of 21 people found the following review helpful. Wonderfully told; but no mapsBy Jared OrthIf you are interested in Mosby's Rangers; this is a great book. This is NOT a biography of John S. Mosby; though. It is a biography of the unit; with special attention towards the leader. The depth with which Wert has researched the individuals in the group provides a clear picture into the inner workings of the Rangers; and the civilians living within Mosby's Confederacy. The book was gripping; especially for someone who grew up and lives on the edge of Mosby's Confederacy.I would warn others; though; that the lack of maps (Only one at the beginning of the book that charts all of Northern Virginia); can lead to confusion about the whereabouts of the Rangers; their adversaries; or allies; as well as the general positions of the people when in conflict. This is a let down to me since Wert included many maps in "Longstreet" to help transplant people to the Tennessee and Virginia battlefields; but I had to rely on my own knowledge of the area for Mosby's Rangers.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. MOSBYBy BILLGREAT FIGHTING UNIT IN A LOOSING FIGHT.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy Charles FeganGreat book. Very detailed history of Mosby's Rangers with numerous source citations.