A good book that reveals many things that you were not taught in school.
Dr. Foner offers an excellent and concise review of the historiography in his preface. At the turn of the 20th C. the problems of Reconstruction were blamed on radical Republicans in Congress who stymied the best efforts of President Johnson and people of good will in the South. Later historians emphasized Pt. Johnson's shortcomings and the intransigent Southerners. In the 1960s and 1970s the emphasis rightly turned to the efforts the former bondsmen made to secure an honest living.
In a high school class emphasizing reading, a lesson plan would be for interested students to read the preface and then choose a chapter to share with other group members (or it would be doable when working ad hoc with students interested in improving their reading skills before attending junior college: first meeting discuss preface, and second meeting each member of group shares a chapter of her/his choice.
In a high school class emphasizing reading, a lesson plan would be for interested students to read the preface and then choose a chapter to share with other group members (or it would be doable when working ad hoc with students interested in improving their reading skills before attending junior college: first meeting discuss preface, and second meeting each member of group shares a chapter of her/his choice.
