Reconstructing Appalachia

Families, communities, and the nation itself were irretrievably altered by the Civil War and the subsequent societal transformations of the nineteenth century. The repercussions of the war incited a broad range of unique problems in the mountains, including treacherous political dynamics, racial prejudices, and a struggling regional economy. Andrew L. Slap's Reconstructing Appalachia examines life in Appalachia after the ravages of the Civil War, an unexplored area that represents a void in historical literature.

Addressing a gap in the chronicles of our nation, this vital anthology explores little-known aspects of history with a particular emphasis on the Reconstruction and post-Reconstruction periods. Acclaimed scholars John C. Inscoe and Ken Fones-Wolf are joined by up-and-comers like Mary Ella Engel, Anne E. Marshall, and Kyle Osborn in a unique collection of essays investigating postwar Appalachia with clarity and precision.

Featuring a broad geographic focus, these compelling essays cover postwar events in Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania. This approach yields an intimate portrait of Appalachia as a diverse collection of communities where the values of place and family are of crucial importance.

Highlighting a wide array of topics including racial reconciliation, tension between former Unionists and Confederates, the evolution of post--Civil War memory, and altered perceptions of race, gender, and economic status, Reconstructing Appalachia illuminates the depth and breadth of the far-reaching problems in Appalachia. Mountain dwellers endured the terrible effects of the war regardless of their loyalties to North or South; both armies destroyed railroads and trade routes throughout the region, mountain communities lost hundreds of able-bodied men,and farms were stripped of produce by passing regiments, causing widespread food shortages throughout Appalachia. The combined effects of these losses caused the collapse of an economic and social infrastructure that took decades to repair. Exploring the voices voices of a forgotten region, Reconstructing Appalachia unearths the history of a proud people coming to grips with the aftermath of war.

Families, communities, and the nation itself were irretrievably altered by the Civil War and the subsequent societal transformations of the nineteenth century. The repercussions of the war incited a broad range of unique problems in Appalachia, including political dynamics, racial prejudices, and the regional economy. Andrew L. Slap's anthology Reconstructing Appalachia reveals life in Appalachia after the ravages of the Civil War, an unexplored area that has left a void in historical literature. Addressing a gap in the chronicles of our nation, this vital anthology explores little-known aspects of history with a particular focus on the Reconstruction and post-Reconstruction periods. Acclaimed scholars John C. Inscoe, Gordon B. McKinney, and Ken Fones-Wolf are joined by up-and-comers like Mary Ella Engel, Anne E. Marshall, and Kyle Osborn in a unique collection of essays investigating postwar Appalachia with clarity and precision. Featuring a broad geographic focus, these compelling essays cover postwar events in Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania. This approach provides an intimate portrait of Appalachia as a diverse collection of communities where the values of place and family are of crucial importance.Highlighting a wide array of topics including racial reconciliation, tension between former Unionists and Confederates, the evolution of post—Civil War memory, and altered perceptions of race, gender, and economic status, Reconstructing Appalachia is a timely and essential study of a region rich in heritage and tradition.

Library Journal

Editor Slap (history, East Tennessee State Univ.; The Doom of Reconstruction) addresses a well-studied period of American history—the Civil War—but takes on a neglected topic: the war's effect on southern Appalachia, a region encompassing western Virginia, eastern Kentucky, western North Carolina, eastern Tennessee, northern Georgia, western Pennsylvania, and northern Alabama. The Civil War experience and its aftermath in these isolated mountainous communities is investigated with new information and expert analysis, which show that the region quickly turned out to be less than hospitable to either the Confederate or the Union side, with residents who grew increasingly resistant and then hostile to the policies of both. The contributing scholars, by highlighting a wide array of topics, show how particularly harmful the conflict was in southern Appalachia, where the inhabitants suffered from social fragmentation, profound economic breakdowns, and grudges and loyalties that only slowly died. The area was caught in the grip of continuing warfare even after the war itself had ended. VERDICT This impressive new study will pave the way for additional scholarship. Excellent, readable, and absorbing history, it gives us a better understanding of this compelling aspect of the Civil War. Highly recommended for both general readers and specialists.—Nancy Richey, Western Kentucky Univ. Lib., Bowling Green

Andrew L. Slap, associate professor of history at East Tennessee State University, is the author of The Doom of Reconstruction: The Liberal Republicans in the Civil War Era. He lives in Johnson City, Tennessee.