Allows readers to gain new insights into the reconstruction era and the development of the industrial United States. Provides in-depth analysis of over twenty primary source documents to deliver a thorough examination of this important time in American history.

Defining Documents in American History: Reconstruction & the Development of the Industrial United States offers in-depth critical analysis of 20 primary source documents. Articles begin by introducing readers to the document’s historical context, followed by a description of the author’s life and circumstances in which the document was written. A document analysis, written by professional writers and historians, guides readers in understanding key elements of language, rhetoric, and social and political meaning that define the significance of the author and document in American history.

Defining Documents in American History: Reconstruction & the Development of the Industrial United States provides detailed analysis of a wide array of documents, including:

The Second Reconstruction Act Louisiana, Mississippi & Ohio State Black Codes Civil Rights Act of 1875 Ten Years on a Georgia Plantation Since the War Harpers Weekly, Education of the Freedmen

This collection will introduce students and educators to a diverse range of genres, including journals, letters, speeches, government legislation, and court opinions.

Documents represent the diversity of ideas and contexts that define social, political and cultural subjects throughout American history.