Emancipation And The Historical Memory Of Reconstruction...

Emancipation and the Historical Memory of Reconstruction EricR.Jackson Northern Kentucky University Department of History and Geography Eric R. Jackson, associate professor of history and director of the Black Studies Program at Northern Kentucky University, received his BS from Ball State University (1988) and both his MA (1992) and doctorate (2000) from the University of Cincinnati. He is known for his publications in the fields of African American history/studies, early American history, and race relation studies. After the ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment and into the Reconstruction era, African Americans struggled to become equal citizens of the nation and produced a number of important and remarkable leaders who demonstrated to a rapidly changing and complex society that they could vote, hold political offices, and legislate effectively. However, the bitterness and regular acts of violence toward African Americans that characterized most of this period has caused many Americans to disregard or totally erase from their collective memories this most important period in the nation?s history. This article discusses more fully the historical memory of Reconstruction. The American Civil War (1861?1865) ended with a decisive victory for the Union. The Confederacy was defeated soundly; the enslavement of about four million people of color was over. Enslavement had been a powerful and fundamental economic institution in the United States for about 250 years and hadShow MoreRelatedCollective Memory : The Political Nature And Consequences Of Erasure1290 Words   |  6 PagesCollective Memory: The Political Nature and Consequences of Erasure The erasure of black people from the historical narrative and memory of the Civil War and Emancipation Era resulted from social prejudices and racism, that was transformed into political action and neglect in regards to the rights of African Americans after Reconstruction. The mythos surrounding the war’s purpose and outcome, actively and deliberately altered by differing organizations, people, and groups, changed the political responseRead MoreAnalysis Of Margaret Walker s Jubilee882 Words   |  4 PagesMargaret Walker’s Jubilee was published in 1966. Walker dedicates the novel to her family. She explains that the dedication of the book to her children is so that they may know their heritage. 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