Surviving the Civil War as a nation was one thing. Rebuilding after the devastation, upheaval and change was quite another.
That focus is part of the emphasis of the Bartholomew County Public Library’s Civil War book discussion group meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday at the library, 536 Fifth St. in Columbus. The gatherings every other month are open to anyone interested.
The group will discuss Eric Foner’s “A Short History of Reconstruction,” chronicling the way in which Americans — black and white — responded to the unprecedented changes unleashed by the war and the end of slavery, according to the publisher’s summary. It addresses the quest of emancipated slaves’ searching for economic autonomy and equal citizenship and describes the remodeling of Southern society, and the evolution of racial attitudes and patterns of race relations.
The author, beginning with the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, uses a variety of sources, including newspaper articles, letters, speeches, legal records and the proceedings of state and national legislatures.
Information: 812-379-1254 or [email protected].
