Lincoln and Reconstruction

Revealing That Lincoln Concerned Himself With Reconstruction From The Earliest Days Of His Presidency, Rodrigue Details How Lincoln's Initiatives Unfolded, Especially In The Southern States Where They Were Attempted. He Explores Lincoln's Approach To Various Issues Relevant To Reconstruction, Including Slavery, Race, Citizenship, And Democracy; His Dealings With Congressional Republicans, Especially The Radicals; His Support For And Eventual Abandonment Of Colonization; His Dealings With The Border States; His Handling Of The Calls For Negotiations With The Confederacy As A Way Of Reconstructing The Union; And His Move Toward Emancipation And Its Implications For His Approach To Reconstruction. As The Civil War Progressed, Rodrigue Shows, Lincoln's Definition Of Reconstruction Transformed From The Mere Restoration Of The Seceded States To A More Fundamental Social, Economic, And Political Reordering Of Southern Society And Of The Union Itself. Based On Lincoln's Own Words And Writings As Well As An Extensive Array Of Secondary Literature, Rodrigue Traces The Evolution Of Lincoln's Thinking On Reconstruction, Providing New Insight Into A Downplayed Aspect Of His Presidency. -- Publisher's Description. Introduction -- From Restoration To Emancipation (march 1861-january 1863) -- From Emancipation To Reconstruction (january-december 1863) -- War, Reconstruction, And Reelection (december 1863-november 1864) -- Into Proper Practical Relations With The Union (november 1864-april 1865) -- Epilogue : What If. John C. Rodrigue. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.