The pioneering work in the study of the role of Black Americans during Reconstruction by the most influential Black intellectual of his time.

This pioneering work was the first full-length study of the role Black Americans played in the crucial period after the Civil War, when those enslaved had been freed and the attempt was made to reconstruct American society. Hailed at the time, Black Reconstruction in America 1860–1880 has justly been called a classic.

From webdubois.org:

“Du Bois published Black Reconstruction in 1935 with Harcourt, Brace and Company (New York). He completed it after leaving the NAACP and returning to Atlanta University. Its subtitle, “An Essay Toward a History of the Part Which Black Folk Played in the Attempt to Reconstruct Democracy in America, 1860-1880,” neatly summarized his central argument in the book. Accordingly, Black Reconstruction foregrounds several recurring Du Boisian themes: the role of African American agency in the building of the U.S.A. and the significance of pro­moting African American equality and freedom in order to achieve the promise of democracy. The book directly challenged dominant views of the time that the Reconstruction era in American history was a disaster for the South and for the country. It received much comment, including criticisms, from across the political spectrum.

Chapters 4-5 – March 13

Chapters 6-7 – April 10

Chapter 8 – May 8

Chapters 9-10 – June 12

Chapters 11-12 – July 10

Chapters 13-14 – August 14

Copies of Black Reconstruction are available from URHP for $25.