About the Book
"Excellent, readable, and absorbing history . . . gives us a better understanding of this compelling aspect of the Civil War." --Library Journal
Families, communities, and the nation itself were irretrievably altered by the Civil War and the subsequent societal transformations of the nineteenth century. The repercussions of the war incited a broad range of unique problems in Appalachia, including political dynamics, racial prejudices, and the regional economy.
This anthology of essays reveals life in Appalachia after the ravages of the Civil War, an unexplored area that has left a void in historical literature. Addressing a gap in the chronicles of our nation, this vital collection explores little-known aspects of history with a particular focus on the Reconstruction and post-Reconstruction periods. Acclaimed scholars John C. Inscoe, Gordon B. McKinney, and Ken Fones-Wolf are joined by up-and-comers like Mary Ella Engel, Anne E. Marshall, and Kyle Osborn in a unique volume investigating postwar Appalachia with clarity and precision.
Featuring a broad geographic focus, the compelling essays cover postwar events in Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania. This approach provides an intimate portrait of Appalachia as a diverse collection of communities where the values of place and family are of crucial importance. Highlighting a wide array of topics including racial reconciliation, tension between former Unionists and Confederates, the evolution of post--Civil War memory, and altered perceptions of race, gender, and economic status, Reconstructing Appalachia is a timely and essential study of a region rich in heritage and tradition.
"Outstanding." --North Carolina Historical Review
About the Author :
Andrew L. Slap, associate professor of history at East Tennessee State University, is the author of The Doom of Reconstruction: The Liberal Republicans in the Civil War Era.
Review :
" "Reconstructing Appalachia" is outstanding." -- " "North Carolina Historical Review""
" "Reconstructing Appalachia" is the story of a region coming to grips with the aftermath of a devastating homegrown war." -- "kydirect.net"
"" "Reconstructing Appalachia" addresses a gap in the nation's chronicles, as it explores little-known aspects of history with a particular focus on the Reconstruction and even the post-Reconstruction periods of the late 1800s."-- "Bristol Herald Courier"" --
""Achieving the editor's worthy objective of stimulating additional work, these essays on post-Civil War Appalachia and its long reconstruction will become a necessary touchstone... the volume incidentally makes a strong case for Appalachian exceptionalism for the last four decades of the nineteenth century."-- "The Journal of Southern History"" --
""Is about how the mountaineers endured the war's consequences....this is a great book."-- "H-War"" --
""It invites reinterpretation and helps to redefine a region characterized by a multitude of stereotypes."-- "Maryland Historical Magazine"" --
""Many of the essays reveal how outsiders shaped the long-lasting hillbilly steretype. An important book. Highly recommended."-- "Choice"" --
""Necessary reading for those interested in Reconstruction, Appalachia or America after the war."-- "TOCWOC"" --
""Slap and twelve other historians... offer important revisionist insights into Reconstruction-era Appalachia's cultural, economic, political, and social history." -- "Florida Historical Quarterly"" --
""This much needed and very useful collection highlights the Appalachian region's diverse responses to the Civil War and complicates, while it illuminates, several long-standing historical debates."-- "Civil War Book Review"" --
"A major contribution to the continuing re-evaluation of the mountain region's history. This volume marks an extension of that rich scholarship, providing a vital bridge between the agrarian/sectional and industrial/national eras." -- "Martin Crawford, author of "Ashe County's Civil War: Community and Society in the Appalachian South""
"All of [the chapters] are of high quality and well worth the read." -- " "Journal of American History""
"Andrew L. Slap's anthology...reveals life in Appalachia after the ravages of the Civil War, an unexplored area that has left a void in historical literature. Addressing a gap in the chronicles of our nation, this vital anthology explores little-known aspects of history.... "Reconstructing Appalachia" is a timely and essential study of a region rich in heritage and tradition." -- "McCormick Messenger"
"I hope southern historians will seek it out as a fresh contribution." -- " "Journal of East Tennessee History""
"In a collection of essays, several Southern historians examine life in Appalachia after the War Between the States ravaged the region." -- " "Lexington Herald-Leader""
"Provides deeply researched and generally well-argued topical chapters that offer important revisionist insights into Reconstruction-era Appalachia's cultural, economic, political, and social history." -- " "Florida Historical Quarterly""
"The end of the Civil War was only the beginning." -- " "Knoxville News-Sentinel""
"The mountain people and small farmers didn't own many slaves or care too much about states' rights.... But they bore a great amount of the war's destruction. It left them embittered, resentful of any government authority and suspicious of outsiders." -- " "Louisville Courier-Journal""
"The American Civil War left a lasting mark on the lands and people of Appalachia, where there are diverse collection of communities where the values of place and family are crucial importance." -- " "Lone Star""
"This collection of essays is a sign that the era of missed opportunities is coming to an end, and it contains a range of thought-provoking essays.... [It] has the potential to be an important influence on Reconstruction historiography." -- " "American Historical Review""
"This impressive new study will pave the way for additional scholarship. Excellent, readable, and absorbing history, it gives us a better understanding of this compelling aspect of the Civil War. Highly recommended for both general readers and specialists" -- " "Library Journal""
"This is an essential work for Appalachian Studies scholars whether historians or not." -- "H-Net Reviews"
"This is an excellent book to add to your Reconstruction Period library." -- "The Lone Star Book Review"
"Reconstructing Appalachia is outstanding." -- North Carolina Historical Review
"Reconstructing Appalachia is the story of a region coming to grips with the aftermath of a devastating homegrown war." -- kydirect.net
""The stereotypical myth of a homogenous people, ethnically similar, united in political allegiances and economic pursuits may finally be laid to rest."--H-CivWar" --
""I hope southern historians will seek it out as a fresh contribution."--Journal of East Tennessee History" --
""Provide deeply researched and generally well-argued topical chapters that offer important revisionist insights into Reconstruction-era Appalachia's cultural, economic, political, and social history."--Florida Historical Quarterly" --
""[Slap] has collected 13 essays.... examining a wide array of topics related to the tough, often halting, healing process in our region."--Goldenseal" --
""A major contribution to the continuing re-evaluation of the mountain region's history. This volume marks an extension of that rich scholarship, providing a vital bridge between the agrarian/sectional and industrial/national eras."--Martin Crawford, author of Ashe County's Civil War: Community and Society in the Appalachian South" --
""All of [the chapters] are of high quality and well worth the read."--The Journal of American History" --
""In a collection of essays, several Southern historians examine life in Appalachia after the War Between the States ravaged the region."--Lexington Herald-Leader" --
""Reconstructing Appalachia addresses a gap in the nation's chronicles, as it explores little-known aspects of history with a particular focus on the Reconstruction and even the post-Reconstruction periods of the late 1800s."--Bristol Herald Courier" --
""Reconstructing Appalachia is outstanding."--North Caroline Historical Review" --
""Reconstructing Appalachia is the story of a region coming to grips with the aftermath of a devastating homegrown war."--kydirect.net" --
""The collection provides a well-constructed and much needed historiographical connection between the Civil War era and the industrialization of Appalachia." --West Virginia History" --
""The end of the Civil War was only the beginning."--Knoxville News-Sentinel" --
""The mountain people and small farmers didn't own many slaves or care too much about states' rights.... But they bore a great amount of the war's destruction. It left them embittered, resentful of any government authority and suspicious of outsiders."--Louisville Courier-Journal" --
""The American Civil War left a lasting mark on the lands and people of Appalachia, where there are diverse collection of communities where the values of place and family are crucial importance."--Lone Star" --
""This collection of essays is a sign that the era of missed opportunities is coming to an end, and it contains a range of thought-provoking essays.... [It] has the potential to be an important influence on Reconstruction historiography."--American Historical Review" --
""This impressive new study will pave the way for additional scholarship. Excellent, readable, and absorbing history, it gives us a better understanding of this compelling aspect of the Civil War. Highly recommended for both general readers and specialists"--Library Journal" --
""This is an essential work for Appalachian Studies scholars whether historians or not."--H-Net Reviews" --
