Thinking Through The Past (Book Review Sample)

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Thinking Through the Past, Volume 1 5TH Edition
Assignment 1
Chapter 1
Introduction
The historical analysis skills are essential in finding and understanding the meaning of facts in the past. These skills are highly critical given that they enable individuals to become critical thinkers and construct explanations through purposeful thinking. Chapter one of the book gives an interesting discussion on the various history college books that address the issue of American history. It also discusses the role of African Americans during the period of reconstruction after the end of the civil war through an assessment of several American historical textbooks. The chapter also highlights the differences in these textbooks given that the historical literature materials portray different meanings with the particular regard to their interpretations regarding the history of reconstruction after the civil war.
The purpose of this paper, therefore, is to determine how the four accounts of reconstruction differ from one another and which account of reconstruction is the most accurate. The paper also seeks to highlight the differences between the authors regarding how they answer the question of reconstruction. It also seeks to identify the various facts about reconstruction that are presented in the four accounts of reconstruction and the meaning that’s assigned to each fact raised by the various authors.
Question 1
Does the author present the Republican governments in the Southern states as effective or ineffective? How are they described?
The republican governments in the Southern states are depicted as hugely effective given the emergence of a Southern Republican Party and the influence of black voters. The huge support that the Republicans received in the South especially from black voters is an indicator of the effectiveness of their policies. In addition, the author argues that the illiteracy levels amongst the blacks and the uneducated whites had little or no impact on the intelligent choices that they made. There was a high number of illiterate blacks and uneducated whites who went on to participate in the voting process in the southern states voting in a high number of republican aspirants. In addition, the huge republican influence in the south is indicated by the increased zeal for voting from the religious leaders and family members to vote in Republicans.
The effectiveness of the Republican Party in the south is also evident in the restrictions on prominent confederates and a large black voter turnout during the constitutional conventions of 1868-1870. The Republican Party was quite synonymous with the black population that formed a significant bulk of the Republican delegates. In the southern states, black republican delegates accounted for 265 delegates out of the possible 1000 delegates. In addition, the post-civil war reforms that were adopted by the republicans and the native white southerners resulted in change with the specific regard to democratic changes. The effectiveness of the Republican’s policies in the southern states is evident in the elimination of property qualifications restrictions regarding holding office or participating in voting.
The author’s view of the carpetbaggers and scalawags is to a larger extent, negative. It is because the author describes the whites from the north as carpetbaggers that were depicted as greedy crooks. In addition, the carpetbaggers had no interest in introducing political change in the south but to introduce their northern ways such as industry, the spirit of enterprise, and public education. The author’s view of the scalawags is also negative. The term scalawags was used to refer to the native white southerners who cooperated with their Republican counterparts. Their main aim was to benefit from the opportunities and education that were advanced by the Republicans. In addition, the author’s negative view of the scalawags is highlighted in the high number of black-white coalition that failed to support racial equality in the south.
Question 2
What is the author’s view of blacks?
The author views the blacks as highly illiterate individuals that played a critical role in the reconstruction process. The blacks are depicted as having played a crucial role during the process of reconstruction in the southern states that started at the school houses. The blacks organized themselves into union armies that later invaded the schools that had been built by soldiers for Negroes. The high number of teachers that were churned out of the relief societies was an indicator of the increased literacy levels amongst the blacks. In addition, the author indicates that the freedmen played an essential role in the rehabilitation of the southern State governments. In addition, the reconstruction of the southern State governments was solely based on racial assumptions about the character of freedmen. The move was depicted in the first ever democratic education system and free public school system in the south.
The author points out to the active involvement of black Americans in shaping the reconstruction process and their lives. The active involvement of the blacks in reconstruction is highlighted in the existence of the Negro carpet-bag rule during the 1868-1872 era. In addition, the author discredits the notion that blacks were illiterate and ignorant of the science of government. However, the author notes that the blacks had little interest in participating in reconstruction especially at the start of the reconstruction process. Their passiveness at the beginning of the reconstr...