WearetoldthatthepresentmomentbearsastrongresemblancetoReconstruction,theeraaftertheCivilWarwhenthevictoriousNorthattemptedtocreateaninterracialdemocracyintheunrepentantSouth.Thateffortfailed--andthatfailureservesasawarningtodayaboutviolentbacklashtothemereideaofblackequality.InTheRiseandFalloftheSecondAmericanRepublic,acclaimedhistorianManishaSinhaexpandsourviewbeyondtheacceptedtemporalandspatialboundsofReconstruction,whichiscustomarilysaidtohavebegunin1865withtheendofthewar,andtohavecometoaclosewhenthe“corruptbargain“of1877putRutherfordB.HayesintheWhiteHouseinexchangeforthefallofthelastsouthernReconstructionstategovernments.Sinha’sstartlinglyoriginalaccountopensin1860withtheelectionofAbrahamLincolnthattriggeredthesecessionoftheDeepSouthstates,andtakeusallthewayto1920andtheratificationoftheNineteenthAmendment,whichgrantedwomentherighttovote--andwhichSinhacallsthe“lastReconstructionamendment.“Withinthisgrandframe,Sinhanarratestheriseandfallofwhatshecallsthe“SecondAmericanRepublic.“TheReconstructionoftheSouth,aprocessdrivenbythealliancebetweentheformerlyenslavedatthegrassrootsandRadicalRepublicansinCongress,iscentraltoherstory,butonlypartofit.Asshedemonstrates,theUSArmy’sconquestofIndigenousnationsintheWest,laborconflictintheNorth,Chineseexclusion,women’ssuffrage,andtheestablishmentofanoverseasAmericanempirewereallpartofthesamestrugglebetweentheforcesofdemocracyandthoseofreaction.ThemainconcernofReconstructionwastheplightoftheformerlyenslaved,butitsfallaffectedothergroupsaswell:women,workers,immigrants,andNativeAmericans.FromtheelectionofblacklegislatorsacrosstheSouthinthelate1860stotheGreatRailroadStrikeof1877tothecolonialwarinthePhilippinesinthe1890s,Sinhanarratesthemajorepisodesoftheeraandintroducesustokeyindividuals,famousandotherwise,whohelpedremakeAmericandemocracy,orwhoseactionsspelleditsdoom.AsweepingnarrativethatremakesourunderstandingofperhapsthemostconsequentialperiodinAmericanhistory,TheRiseandFalloftheSecondAmericanRepublicshowshowthegreatcontestofthatageisalsothegreatcontestofourage--andservesasanecessaryreminderofhowyoungandfragileourdemocracytrulyis.
RISE IMMIGRANTS AMERICAN WOMEN
