The New South and the Old West 1866-1890 (Discovering U.S. History)

The end of the Civil War brought significant change to the United States. The war had destroyed the South, ushering in an age of rebuilding that created a new South free from slavery and open to progress and industrialization. But much of the promise of the post-war South was lost in the political heat of Reconstruction. At the same time, more people began to migrate to the Old West. But just as Reconstruction and its aftermath ultimately failed to lift newly freed blacks out from under white racism, so the settling of the West left thousands of Indians dispossessed and defeated. The New south and the Old West: 1866-1890 takes readers on a journey through the efforts to reconstruct the ravaged South and the push to create new life in the promising land to the west of the Mississippi. Discovering U.S. History spans the complex and dramatic history of the United States from prehistoric times to the present day. Through a compelling narrative, thought-provoking boxed insets, and lively illustrations, each volume brings to life the people and events that have shaped the nation.