Reconstruction in Texas

by Charles William Ramsdell

A reprint of the 1910 study, Reconstruction in Texas examines the events that still impact upon Texas and the South.

324 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1964

Reviews

[Randall · Rating 3 out of 5]

Incredibly racist, but not like you might think. The author, a member of the Dunning school of historians at Columbia, did not appear to hate black people at all, but most definitely believed in white supremacy. His racism was more or less a form of pity for a people whom he believed were incapable of governing themselves and therefore in need of supervision. The author attempted to be fair, but he was a product of his time and unable to overcome his racism.

He did give a very good overview of the political process of Reconstruction in Texas and explained the resentment created by it, resentment that later resulted in a backlash against newly freed black people after Reconstruction had ended.

I gave the book three stars, not because I agreed with the author's viewpoint, but because this is an important book. Books like this were the fuel for the oppression of black people for the next century.

The book is very well written, even though one hundred years later, the author's biases are clear to see. The subject matter is very important and is very helpful in understanding where we are today.