|
|
Article: Second Founding: New York City, Reconstruction, and the Making of American Democracy.(Book review)
- Article from:
- The Historian
- Article date:
- September 22, 2006
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2006 Phi Alpha Theta, History Honor Society, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
|
Second Founding: New York City, Reconstruction, and the Making of American Democracy. By David Quigley. (New York, N.Y.: Hill and Wang, 2004. Pp. ix, 238. $14.00.)
This book's title reveals both its scope and interpretation. The author begins with the Civil War, when American constitutional democracy was challenged and underwent major revisions, effectively constituting a "second founding" of the republic. Multiple definitions of "liberty" vied for supremacy throughout the era of Reconstruction, a period usually associated with a Northern makeover of Southern state politics. David Quigley reminds the reader that Reconstruction also directly affected Northern ...