Posted in African Americans Emancipation & Reconstruction End of War Refugees Women and Gender

Harriet Jacobs Describes Her Relief Work Among Liberated Former Slaves Near Savannah in 1866

Illustration: Freedpeople in Charleston from Frank Leslie’s April 25, 1865. Harriet Jacobs is today well-known as the author of Incidents in the Life of a…

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Posted in Agriculture Economics

“The main reliance…must be upon the black population” Coming to terms with free Black labor 1868

The Richmond Whig was a staunch opponent of Republican Reconstruction plans, but as this article indicates it could be realistic in its assessment of the…

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Posted in Immigrants Women and Gender

When Louisa May Alcott Endorsed “No Irish Need Apply”

Like many of her background, Louisa May Alcott had strong prejudices against Irish immigrants. While we remember her for Little Women, Alcott was a frequent…

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Posted in African Americans Emancipation & Reconstruction Book Reviews

Troubled Refuge: Struggling for Freedom in the Civil War by Chandra Manning

Troubled Refuge: Struggling for Freedom in the Civil War by Chandra Manning examines the interplay of black refugees who arrived by the thousands into Union…

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Posted in Memory of Reconstruction Podcast Podcasts

Atlantic Magazine Says “Six Degrees of Song of the South” One of the Best Podcasts of the Year

The Atlantic Magazine recently named Six Degrees of Song of the South one of the best podcasts of the year. The series focuses on the…

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Posted in Book Reviews Women and Gender

NY Times- ‘Jo Was Everything I Wanted to Be’: 5 Writers on ‘Little Women’

The New York Times has reflections from five women authors on how the book Little Women influenced their work. Julia Alvarez, Virginia Kantra, Anna Quindlen,…

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Posted in Emancipation Proclamation Memory of Reconstruction

Video of Charleston Emancipation Day Celebration

Charleston claims the oldest continuous public celebration of the January 1, 1863 signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. Here is video of the New Year’s Eve…

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Posted in Book Reviews Civil War Memory of Reconstruction Podcast Podcasts

Podcast Interview of Kevin M. Levin Author of “Searching for Black Confederates: The Civil Wars Most Persistent Myth”

Kevin M. Levin, author of “Searching for Black Confederates: The Civil Wars Most Persistent Myth,” was recently interviewed on Civil War Talk Radio by host…

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Posted in Emancipation Proclamation

Happy Emancipation Day!

When the Emancipation Proclamation was signed by President Lincoln on January 1, 1863, Black communities around the United States were already celebrating before the official…

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