It was stunning to learn that 2/3 of the world's production of cotton took place in the South prior to the Civil War. No wonder the Southerners thought they would have an easy time defeating the North. They assumed that their domination of the world's cotton trade would buy them assistance in their fight.
This book concentrates on the various acts and amendments to our Constitution, brought about by the end of the Civil War and the people who were in control of the US Government at that time. I found the discussion of these laws and amendments to be rather dry. General Sherman went up a notch in my estimation by his plan to give former slaves land (redistributed from plantation owners) in Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina. However, President Johnson quickly returned the land to the Southern plantation owners and the idea collapsed.
I was surprised to learn that President Johnson, a Democrat, was for states' rights and against the federal government controlling the economies of states. However, he was such a weak politician that Congress took the reins away from him and went berserk.
I rarely comment on a narrator of a book I read, but I thought Jason Zenobia to be exceptional. His presentation was crisp and clear.
This book concentrates on the various acts and amendments to our Constitution, brought about by the end of the Civil War and the people who were in control of the US Government at that time. I found the discussion of these laws and amendments to be rather dry. General Sherman went up a notch in my estimation by his plan to give former slaves land (redistributed from plantation owners) in Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina. However, President Johnson quickly returned the land to the Southern plantation owners and the idea collapsed.
I was surprised to learn that President Johnson, a Democrat, was for states' rights and against the federal government controlling the economies of states. However, he was such a weak politician that Congress took the reins away from him and went berserk.
I rarely comment on a narrator of a book I read, but I thought Jason Zenobia to be exceptional. His presentation was crisp and clear.
