Foner's Account of Reconstruction

Prior to reading Foner's publication I was for the most part unaware of the many aspects of American society that Reconstruction affected. Foner's account drew on the influences American politics had on the economic instability and inequality African Americans suffered in the decades following the end of the American Civil War. It is a wide topic of debate among many modern historians as to when Reconstruction finally came to an end. This is primarily due to, Foner argues, the inability of southern idealist presidents and congressional majorities to properly deal with reconstructive issues in the decades immediately following the declaration of peace at Appomattox Courthouse.