The Reconstruction Amendments

Children's Literature

Following the conclusion of the American Civil War, life in the nation was supposed to settle back into a cycle of peace and brotherhood. Despite the defeat of the Confederacy and the official ending of slavery, events played out in the nation that continued to result in a plague of hatred, bigotry, and discrimination. In The Reconstruction Amendments historian Michael Burgan traces the developments that resulted in the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments to the Federal Constitution. These essential legislative acts and referendums established rights that Americans now hold dear to their hearts and even take for granted. These political acts also made up a portion of what came to be known as the Reconstruction of the defeated South. In telling this important story Michael Burgan presents in a very engaging manner what could, in the hands of a less capable writer, be a dry subject. Burgan's prose covers the bases in terms of factual information while also bringing the events to life through the use of primary source quotations and writings. This deft writer's touch, combined with the manifold period illustrations that typify Compass Point Books' "We the People" series (of which this book is an example) results in a historical work that will educate and entertain its readers. This text also tells the story of legislative and personal efforts aimed at ameliorating racial hatred, the barriers those efforts faced, and the challenges that remain for Americans to deal with in pursuit of racial equality. 2006, Compass Point Books, Ages 9 to 12.
—Greg M. Romaneck