The Facts of Reconstruction

by John Roy Lynch

The Facts of Reconstruction is John Roy Lynch's fascinating and detailed account of the USA's political situation following the conclusion of the American Civil War.

As a Speaker in the Mississippi House of Representatives, John R. Lynch was one of the first-ever black politicians. As such, the victory of the Union forces in 1865 directly influenced his life and career. Simply by virtue of emancipation, Lynch was a major stakeholder in the reconstruction efforts between the Union north and the secessionist south. He consequently felt obliged to author this retrospective history covering the major political events and turning points.

Immediately after the American Civil War concluded, the USA was in a fractured and fraught state. The assassination of Abraham Lincoln, who sought to mend bridges and reconcile with the secessionist states, exacerbated the situation further. The 1860s, 1870s and 1880s were thus a tumultuous time for American politics, in which reforms were hard fought and incremental in the various states and nationally at the federal level.

Writing in 1913, Lynch charts the journey made over those difficult decades, drawing on his personal experience as a member of Mississippi's House of Representatives, and the national record. He charts the various elections, and the evolution of the Republican and Democratic parties as distinct wings of the political landscape. Various events, such as the rise of Democratic radicalism in the South, and the election of Grover Cleveland to the Presidency, are detailed.

In all, The Facts of Reconstruction offers a reasonable overview of a transitional period in U.S. politics from an insider. The ongoing racial conflicts following the emancipation of African American slaves are charted alongside the personal traits, ideals and acts of the various politicians of the time.

Genres: History, American History, Race

148 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1913

About the author

John Roy Lynch (September 10, 1847 – November 2, 1939) was an African-American Republican politician, writer, attorney and military officer. Born into slavery in Louisiana, he became free in 1863 under the Emancipation Proclamation. His father was an Irish immigrant and his parents had a common-law marriage. After serving for several years in the state legislature, in 1873 Lynch was elected as the first African-American Speaker of the Mississippi House of Representatives; he was the first African American to hold this position in the country. During Reconstruction after the American Civil War, he was among the first generation of African Americans from the South elected to the U.S House of Representatives, serving from 1873 to 1877 and again in the 1880s. Faced with increasing restrictions in Mississippi, Lynch studied law, passed the bar, and returned to Washington, DC to set up a practice,

After Democrats regained power in the state legislature following Reconstruction, in 1890 they disfranchised most blacks in the state (who were a majority of the population) by a new constitution that raised barriers to voter registration. Then in his 50s, Lynch studied law; he was admitted to the Mississippi bar in 1896. Seeing the effects of disenfranchisement, Lynch left the state and returned to Washington, DC to practice law. He served in the United States Army during the Spanish American War and for a decade into the early 1900s, achieving the rank of major. After retiring, Lynch moved to Chicago, Illinois, where he lived for more than two decades. After his military service, Lynch was active in law and real estate in Chicago.

Beginning in 1877, when Reconstruction ended with the federal government withdrawing its troops from the South, Lynch wrote and published four books: these analyzed the political situation in the South during and after Reconstruction. He is best known for his book, The Facts of Reconstruction (1913). It is available online at the Gutenberg Project. In it, he argued against the prevailing view of the Dunning School, conservative white historians who downplayed African-American contributions and the achievements of the Reconstruction era. Lynch emphasized how significant was the ratification of the 14th and 15th Amendments to the Constitution, which granted full citizenship to all persons without restriction of race or color, and suffrage to minority males.

Reviews

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

First person account told in straight forward language from a man who lived this on the front lines, having served as a black Congressman from Mississippi during Reconstruction and as a delegate to Republican National Conventions. I came across this book from a footnote in Eric Foner’s Reconstruction and I highly suggest reading that book first. Having some background is essential for a modern reader since this book does assume some knowledge of the persons and events current at time of publication.

[Mark · Rating 2 out of 5]

An essential primary source regarding national party politics during the Reconstruction Era. Lynch’s style is ornate without being beautiful, and his references to mostly-forgotten persons make the book read like a court document. He makes a few important general assertions about racial dynamics in the political sphere.

[Tricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listened to the LibriVox edition. Excellent reader.

Very interesting, first-hand perspective on the years right after the Civil War, when blacks were not yet denied so many of their rights. They were in Congress! A part of history that isn't well studied in school.

[Michael DiCamillo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Necessary firsthand account of the Reconstruction government of Mississippi as well as the post-Reconstruction politics from 1877-1909.

[Shane Grier · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting but a chore to get through.