I enjoyed the quality and depth of Foner’s book. I’m surprised, however, that academia does not challenge a few weak and unsupportable elements. First, he routinely blames Radical Republicans for not being more assertive to Institute Reconstruction policy at the federal and state level. Then he describes all of the elements of Jim Crow’s vanquishing reform – defeating laws, violence through the KKK, killing black and white civic leaders. All of this was done by Southern Dems. Where’s the blame? Likewise, Foner conveniently skips the details of passage of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments – a full demonstration that even Dems in the North were anti-reform. A shame his obvious personal bias stands in the way of otherwise quality work.
