Andrew Johnson and Reconstruction

by Eric L. McKitrick (Author)

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Editorial Reviews

Review

"A contribution of prime importance to the reviving study of the Reconstruction period. Among its merits are its originality in reshaping old problems, its imaginative use of analogy and comparative history, and its disciplined respect for the chronological order of events, ideas, hopes, and
despairs....These merits along with others should win a warm reception for this book."--C. Vann Woodward, The New York Times Book Review

"Unusual, creative, provocative, and provoking...[A] work of major importance. It makes a fine, solid contribution to Reconstruction historiography, and by its approach raises hard, insistent questions about the drift of historical study in our day....It is a brave book...and does enormous credit
to the author."--American Historical Review

"It is gratifying to find a book which makes no concessions to popular prejudices. McKitrick has spent years in research; he has come to unorthodox conclusions; and he has documented his text....A thoughtful and important book. May the reading public still comprise a sizable number of persons who
prefer solidity and scholarship to meretricious appeal!"--Chicago Sunday Tribune

"The most important work on Reconstruction to appear in a generation."--Canadian Historical Review

About the Author

Eric L. McKitrick is at Columbia University.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Oxford University Press (November 24, 1988)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 544 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0195057074
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0195057072
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.01 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 1.13 x 5.31 x 8 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,375,689 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #2,834 in United States History (Books)
- #6,551 in U.S. Civil War History
- #8,355 in Political Leader Biographies

Customer Reviews:
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Top reviews from the United States

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J. Willis

Cartoonishly biased and outdated.

Reviewed in the United States on September 6, 2018

Verified Purchase

This is an extremely biased account, the author is boiling over with one sided extremism. He can’t contain himself from showering each character with passionate streams of adjectives to make cartoonish renderings that fit his proConfederate perspective, while glossing over atrocities and massacres like a segregationist rallying against the Civil Rights Act at the time this book was written (1961)

Andrew Johnson the man himself barely appears in the text, he seems more like a silhouette that peaks out occasionally between long fantastical descriptions of the senators and congressmen the author showers in absurd praises or bile depending on whether they fit his personal 20th century politics. The critical issue of impeachment is glossed over in the final few pages dismissively.

The book is a great disappointment but not without usefulness, it gives a particular slanted perspective and feels much like one might be reliving the events as a northern conservative copperhead reading copperhead newspapers may have felt them at the time.

I would highly disrecommend this book to anyone who does not already have a much broader perspective on the era in question.

Helpful

Ronald Douglas Berkebile

During the nation's most politically tumultuous time, Andrew Johnson ...

Reviewed in the United States on June 10, 2015

Verified Purchase

During the nation's most politically tumultuous time, Andrew Johnson was unprepared for the highest seat in the country. Following a political hero and a martyr is a recipe for disaster, and Johnson didn't help himself. He was politically unsavvy, and Thaddeus Stevens was a powerful foe. The book delves deeply into their contentious relationship. Tangling with Stevens was a mistake. In fairness to Johnson, reconstruction was a time of experimentation, and President Johnson was cast into an extremely difficult situation. Leaders had no reconstruction example to follow, and politicians were very passionate. The book is comprehensive. In addition, the book gives interesting insight into the Freedmen's Bureau and the use of Union soldiers to monitor reconstruction. Vetoes and impeachment led to Johnson's demise, and he could only blame himself.

www.AncestralHistory.org recommends this book for families looking for notable and famous ancestors

2 people found this helpful

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Mike Kolls

Andrew Johnson - able President amidst a vengeful Congress

Reviewed in the United States on November 14, 2019

I enjoyed reading this HISTORY book. In each chapter McKitrick throws a lot at you – background and details. Then he guides you through the situation to get the meat. I’d like to read more about Charles Sumner and even more so Wade Hampton.

President Andrew Johnson was a man of high ideals. He stood on Lincoln’s desire to extend forgiveness to secessionists and quickly heal the nation. In the end, he lost this battle with Congress. Most presidential rankings put him in the 4th quartile; this is simply a lack of scholarship.

Key in the 39th and 40th Northern Congresses was the mindset of the victor. What happens when a victorious North issues demands of a still-proud South? Shouldn’t southern states be part of the discussion that will directly affect them? IMHO, if complete capitulation is “demanded”, then continued rebellion is a just response. This battle still rages today.

Congress’ “Reconstruction” was vindictive. We see the right method (Congress leading), but the wrong outcome. Yet, seven-score and thirteen years later, we are the United States. We endured this strident time. Please consider comparing Federalist Papers #42 thru #47 to Reconstruction legislation.

Restoration required Southern states to be considered “out” of the Union for one course of action and simultaneously considered still “in” for other actions – a certain tightrope for President Johnson and Congress. Can a sovereign state that voluntarily entered the Union, choose to secede?

Was Amendment XIV judiciously written or was it a patchwork created amidst fickle political winds? Vague Section 1 has since been misinterpreted and has created wholesale political implications today.

MicKitrick’s discussion of patronage and party loyalty was especially discouraging. Do party-selected candidates really advance the will of THE PEOPLE? I'm skeptical.

Erik McKitrick thank you for an in-depth look as a regretfully ignored period of our US history. We can be a strong nation, even amidst strident times… maybe because of them.

Helpful

J. Willis

Cartoonishly biased and outdated

Reviewed in the United States on September 6, 2018

This is an extremely biased account, the author is boiling over with one sided extremism. He can’t contain himself from showering each character with passionate streams of adjectives to make cartoonish renderings that fit his proConfederate perspective, while glossing over atrocities and massacres like a segregationist rallying against the Civil Rights Act at the time this book was written (1961)

Andrew Johnson the man himself barely appears in the text, he seems more like a silhouette that peaks out occasionally between long fantastical descriptions of the senators and congressmen the author showers in absurd praises or bile depending on whether they fit his personal 20th century politics. The critical issue of impeachment is glossed over in the final few pages dismissively.

The book is a great disappointment but not without usefulness, it gives a particular slanted perspective and feels much like one might be reliving the events as a northern conservative copperhead reading copperhead newspapers may have felt them at the time.

I would highly disrecommend this book to anyone who does not already have a much broader perspective on the era in question.

Helpful

Andrew Johnson and Reconstruction

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