A Revolution Gone Backward - Contributions in Afro-American and African Studies: Contempo by Bess Beatty Hardcover

About the Book

While newly liberated American blacks were relatively free to participate in the nation's political life during the decade following the Civil War, with the end of Reconstruction and the withdrawal of federal protection, constitutional guarantees quickly were curtailed. In this analysis of the beginnings of black political development, Beatty examines the aftermath of Reconstruction through the eyes of a people who found their rights, liberties, and hopes stalemated in a revolution gone backward.

Book Synopsis

While newly liberated American blacks were relatively free to participate in the nation's political life during the decade following the Civil War, with the end of Reconstruction and the withdrawal of federal protection, constitutional guarantees quickly were curtailed. In this analysis of the beginnings of black political development, Beatty examines the aftermath of Reconstruction through the eyes of a people who found their rights, liberties, and hopes stalemated in a revolution gone backward.

Review Quotes

?The book contains a stunning collection of quotations from major and minor black leaders, barely literate black farmers, and a host of black newspapers, many of them rarely quoted elsewhere. The book serves as a fine introduction to the retrogressive revolution: from full black voting and office-holding to total withdrawal from elective politics. Recommended for college and public libraries.?-Choice

"The book contains a stunning collection of quotations from major and minor black leaders, barely literate black farmers, and a host of black newspapers, many of them rarely quoted elsewhere. The book serves as a fine introduction to the retrogressive revolution: from full black voting and office-holding to total withdrawal from elective politics. Recommended for college and public libraries."-Choice

About the Author

BESS BEATTY is Assistant Professor of History at Oregon State University.