The Thin Light Of Freedom: The Civil War And Emancipation In The Heart Of America
by Edward L. Ayers /
2017 / English / EPUB
27 MB Download
A landmark Civil War history told from a fresh, deeply
researched ground-level perspective
A landmark Civil War history told from a fresh, deeply
researched ground-level perspective
At the crux of America’s history stand two astounding events: the
immediate and complete destruction of the most powerful system of
slavery in the modern world, followed by a political
reconstruction in which new constitutions established the
fundamental rights of citizens for formerly enslaved people. Few
people living in 1860 would have dared imagine either event, and
yet, in retrospect, both seem to have been inevitable.
At the crux of America’s history stand two astounding events: the
immediate and complete destruction of the most powerful system of
slavery in the modern world, followed by a political
reconstruction in which new constitutions established the
fundamental rights of citizens for formerly enslaved people. Few
people living in 1860 would have dared imagine either event, and
yet, in retrospect, both seem to have been inevitable.
In a beautifully crafted narrative, Edward L. Ayers restores the
drama of the unexpected to the history of the Civil War. He does
this by setting up at ground level in the Great Valley counties
of Augusta, Virginia, and Franklin, Pennsylvania, communities
that shared a prosperous landscape but were divided by the
Mason-Dixon Line. From the same vantage point occupied by his
unforgettable characters, Ayers captures the strategic savvy of
Lee and his local lieutenants, and the clear vision of equal
rights animating black troops from Pennsylvania. We see the war
itself become a scourge to the Valley, its pitched battles
punctuating a cycle of vicious attack and reprisal in which
armies burned whole towns for retribution. In the weeks and
months after emancipation, from the streets of Staunton,
Virginia, we see black and white residents testing the limits of
freedom as political leaders negotiate the terms of readmission
to the Union.
In a beautifully crafted narrative, Edward L. Ayers restores the
drama of the unexpected to the history of the Civil War. He does
this by setting up at ground level in the Great Valley counties
of Augusta, Virginia, and Franklin, Pennsylvania, communities
that shared a prosperous landscape but were divided by the
Mason-Dixon Line. From the same vantage point occupied by his
unforgettable characters, Ayers captures the strategic savvy of
Lee and his local lieutenants, and the clear vision of equal
rights animating black troops from Pennsylvania. We see the war
itself become a scourge to the Valley, its pitched battles
punctuating a cycle of vicious attack and reprisal in which
armies burned whole towns for retribution. In the weeks and
months after emancipation, from the streets of Staunton,
Virginia, we see black and white residents testing the limits of
freedom as political leaders negotiate the terms of readmission
to the Union.
Ayers deftly shows throughout how the dynamics of political
opposition drove these momentous events, transforming once
unimaginable outcomes into fact. With analysis as powerful as its
narrative, here is a landmark history of the Civil War.
Ayers deftly shows throughout how the dynamics of political
opposition drove these momentous events, transforming once
unimaginable outcomes into fact. With analysis as powerful as its
narrative, here is a landmark history of the Civil War.30 illustrations; 10 maps
30 illustrations; 10 maps