We are hear to discuss grant. Hes a prolific arthur on when war was built on. He did writing about the radical foreform. How republican reformers defied lincoln and remade america published three years ago. This is a narrative he continues. His earlier works include u i will list a few in reverse order esequencing back in time. Steven adouglas compromised the union and the first congress. James madison and George Washington and a group invented the government and also washington, the making of the american capitol. A historian and journalist given byn the center for the study of slavery at yale university. The Historical Society and article and book reviews appear regularly. In earlier years they reported expensively on politics, economic issues, culture from asia, middle east, and africa and worked for time at the rkunited nations. He was a new yorker at city college of new york and Columbia University. Hes lived and worked all around the world he and his wife currentlyn reside on capitol hil iin washington d. C. Shes a playwright and advice tor to International Plan therapy. How about starting with the reading of the beginning of the book. Sure. T, first, thank you for your kind daintroduction, mary. Thank you for being here today. Maybe not quiet the crack of dawn on a sunday. Yes, this section ill read opens the book. Its kind offensive self explanatory. Around 11 00 p. M. On february 26th the silence was broken by theho pounding of horses movg fast through the mist. The w riders wore white gowns ad masks and surrounded the small frame house where wyatt outlaw lived. 20 men burst into the house. Lithe family name was an old on. They had great torches while his mother told state officials. First they came with a cover. They said, where is wyatt. Oneys said, say, say, say. There were two with swords and pistols. One said cut her head off, another said blow her brains off. They went out of the room and as they passed. One said let us set the house on fire. As they wentth around to the rom and t i heard the child cry, thats the baby. Oh, daddies. Daddy. I went and got a stick. They jumped on me, they did. Threean of them and i arose thre times and they knocked me down. They said, god damn you you strike a white man. They stamped me three times on my breast, head, and arms. Ii hollered for murder. They went off with him. They went hard as thunder riding. Wyatt was about 50 years old. A light skinned man of mixed race. Mulatto. He had escaped slavery in 1864 and made his way to union lines and enlisted in the calvary. He opened a woodworking shop where he repaired wagons and madede coffins. He was counted among the towns black middleclass. He knew things and could speak with confidence and persuade a leader. In 1866 he represented the county at the statewide freedman convention. He was theni local leader organizing the Republican Party. Ca founder a m church and countyd commissioner. He formed an armed patrol to protect against the kkk violence. Restraint urging blacks to be as industrious. A half mile down main street. They instrumenting them up on rathe branch of the elm street. For the past year republicans had governed graham. If they had any final words no one recorded them. One of the kla ns men slashed him with a knife. Too often they spoken out. Too often spoken out for the rights of black men had been told by the government and north carolinas embattled republican governor. Itse dangled until the middle of the next day, a former member of thero klan. Outlaw died at the hands of persons unknown. Not long afterward, a blackman claimed to know who the murderer were. Days later he was found floating in a pond. In the months that followed the union league fell apart and republicans fled town. Wyatt was one victim, a difficult one sweeping the states. Thele targets were freed people and allies whoever taset. Protecting the engine of slavery and the basement of former slavesve into a democracy where whitek, and black, rich and poor had a place in the arena of politics. Er in 1865 there was reason for hope. They seemed poise for racial revolution that will transform former slaves into free actors and overthrow the oligarchy. It goes on for another 350 pages. So, you make a point after the lynching story that northern republicans at the time believed the civil war was over and the south had rebuilt. They established new structures and processes ands reconstruction was accomplished and irreversible. Conversely, manyy of those educatedd in the 21st century generations of facility having been products of that and taught us in school the lost cause ideology that dominated jim crow thinking informed us this was a complete failure and africanamerican bees had littlr success. You call reconstruction a great period in aspirations and muscularity. You w want to enrich the understanding of this time. What was reconstructions ark . What was the impact . How did it evolve . Why do we need to think differently about it . As you said, most of us, thoset of us approximately in y age group, certainly were educated with this to believe reconstruction was a dreadful failure and wrongheaded from the beginning and poorly carried out upby corrupt people, white and black. By socalled, i dont like these terms scallywag. Carpet backers africanamericans were unready tofo participate in politics let alone freedom. There was an established way of presenting reconstruction for 100 years give or take. It was established within academia as you mentioned. By the way, i was at Columbia University in new york. This is not just a product of southern thinking. It was accepted throughout the country. Became a national myth. Embedded in textbooks. Up until the 19 60s and lingers to do so. Ill ask you to erase this. Thats a tall order. Over the last generation or so. Rethinking and readdressing reconstruction and scraping away the crust of lost cause ideology. Thatswh the revisionism. What we learn wasnt really so. The lost cause story is the revision. It was extremely bold, politically bold particularly on the part of africanamericans. One of the most striking aspects. Certainly, it comes through a great deal of what i writein the book. The speed with which africanamericans embrace, not just freedom but the opportunity fores democracy and political public participation. Rushed to become schooled. I mean, its not true every s Single Person was not educate. Some were but not many. Everybody aspired to it. The Freedman Bureau and other churches and other entities. People, formally enslaved people young and old they flock where possible and much better. Two opportunities to learn about the practice of democracy and government. Theth agency was much frequent n the organize and union league. Thats just a family name. He was an oher of the union league. He educated people and expanded dramatically. Its safe to use the simplist ciword. A purely racessist idea that africanamericans werent capable of participating. Across the south. You hear people walking. Defying all kinds of threats and other threats as well. Determination and again in Southern States before the 15th amendment. States have the authority to set voting laws before the 15tho set wi amendment. At any rate u you had africanamericans voting. Before the 15thbe amendment. People are flocking to the polls. 400,000 black voters and it was his grant in 1868. Without that he wouldnt have become president and elected a lot of people to local offices. People, black candidates, many of them formally enslaved. We have a biracial political party. There were several progressives nor ward looking party at the time. Ts the democrats in the south were purely reactionary. Embraced violence and the kkk was basically the Power Military arm of the democratic party. The parties, in other words, are very roughly in opposite potitions of where they are today. Mary, i can just keep going on here. All right, lets just say what were the positive accomplishments . Well, one. Simply. Okay, ill trile. I spoke about empowering peoples formally enslaved people. Bare in mind, in most of the Southern States they were also restricted and property restrictions. Reconstruction was also a liberation for the workingclass poor white people. Imm generalizing here it becos a medium of education as a matter of policy denied rieducation forever. Poorer white people who often had no way to be educated. Public school systems. They invest in public works. Railroad building and other kinds of investment on the northern model, essentially. It outrages the. They were making progress. Very powerful progress. There wereha things that should have happened when it didnt land was notng widely distribut. Like in stevens or minnesota. They wanted to see plantations longing through confederate and handed to free people. Itre should have been done and create an economic base for free people that didnt occur. Americans in the end gave them Property Rights above economic rights of poorer people. All right, given the platform of progress, tell us the plan story. In the context we are in tennessee workingly interested in this and how it spread and then becauseof thats the first word of your book. Lets talkk about the klan and what they did . Ill guess most of you kprobably know it was founded n a small city 80 miles south of where we are. Nice looking town today it was in 1866 by a small group of men. All of them college educated. All of them professional. A news paper editor and lawyers andwe such. They are bored young guys. Half had been burned. Its was a wacky mens foundation. It wasnt started as a terrorist organize. They invented costumes and crazy name. It was a fraternity. It was a popular phenomenon at the time. There were many founded in tennessee and elsewhere. One of the early klan historians, a klan member said they werehe just fishing around trying to come up with an interesting name. They picked this because it sounded weird. It did. He said if they named it glostiopus. Itf wouldnt have caught on. There once again something that caught on. This scared black people. They would dress up. Nayy didnt set out to physicaly harm people initially. It was a jokey thing in their mind to scare black people. Within 6 months, a group of higher ranking confederate officers in nashville got together. Was happening that was spreading a bit. Theynd saw, they saw the terrort potential. Right from the beginning with that meeting in nashville, here, it was organized as a terrorist organize. The first terrorist organize inr American History. Thats what it existed for and founded to do. Everything else was rubbish. You might have heard from lost causers. E anits rubbish. Not because white women were being harassed by freed black people its nonensense. Itwa wasnt happening. Itwa wasnt happening. Themselves . Yes. Were they challenging local power . Yes theyhe were. Were they running for local o office . Yes they were. Wear they refusing to get outoftheway of white people onside walks . Yes, they were. Those were the outrages. Foremost, it was founded to destroy the Republican Party biracial at that point and suppress the black vote. Thats why it came to exist. Drive blacks out of politics and white republican. That was the reason. Early klansman, say it repeatedly. Its not arguable but documentable when men later on having to give sworn testimony. Why did you join it it was on record. Its full of this testimony and so on. The klan. How did it metastasize. It was here in tennessee. Nathan was a reactionary johnny apple seed. Undercover working for a Insurance Company and traveled around the south. It was more a figure head. The Tennessee Group tied at the beginnings the klan became decenn traditional decentralized. Alsoso kentucky. Missouri which was quasi confederate state. It severed the purpose for the founders in tennessee make clear. Their documentation is abundant. It was a threat to human beings and africanamericans and white supporters. All that had been achieved switching us to the other switching us to the other grant. What was his role in preserving reconstruction. Its accidental grant is inat the book. This would presume rated among the worst president s. Grant is an extremely interesting man. Know him as the federal commander in tennessee. Very present. We tend to know him as a war hero more than as a president. Sure. Id likeg to tell you two thin. Why the presidency is Something Different grant in his character is a remarkable man. Hes extremely modest. Its not true at all. West point offered one of the best educations in the United States in its day. West point, a veteran of the mexicanamerican war. Left the army for a while before the civil war. It was very modest as i said unlike some of his colleagues. Avthey he never would have. So, his modesty comes through. His father was an abolitionist. He was not an abolitionist. He wasnt very political before the war. Hes transformed by the war. He did test slavery but like most americans in the border states where he lived missouri he could live with it. When hes married. He married into a slave owned family. They gave him a slave as a wedding present. They are not happy about it. On theme other hand and labor initially. Hebo remained enslaved. He frees him. Thats the model chose het couldnt and wouldnt do it. Just gavedo him his freedom he s worth 1,000 tells you something about where he was during the war. Heve welcomed slaves into his md unlike many other officers that were deeply racist and sent them back. He was anar early advocate for employing black troops unliable other officers. Grant welcomed them and witnessed the bravery of black troops. Wan drew johnson. They came to see the president. Didnt support reconstruction. Reconstruction makes very rocky patchwork. It was in 1868. Its by far the most popular republican. It was radicalized. Rione stanch supporter. Reconstructiond policy a lot of the terms have changed. We could have an interesting talk with that. There was act piece of legislation passed by congress. Congress felt it was important to address this evil. Tell us about that. I mean, the book toggles back and fourth between my work. Formally enslaved people. Congress is alsoo a battle grant. Ed republicans control and to key period control for a few years by republican radical with a tough commitment. They were cracking down on the clan that spreadd everywhere. Erterrified local authorities prosecuted with terror or anything today you every red isis or hamas. In the United States homegrown regular americans. I have to say, okay, what congress the enforcement act to try to enforce the freedoms underlined by the 14th amendment. Its the key piece of national legislation. For the first time, empowering enthe federal government to enforce rightless in the states. It was a constant political battle. What could the federal government do or not do. Unbalanced Public Opinion continued to lean towards state rights over national rights. There is a very tough political battle. Kkk act is extremely strong. Itit defined everything they wee itit defined everything they wee costumes and many other things expressfied in the legislation that was extremely strong punishment. Five or more years in prison. One is it dispatches troops, particularly a lot about South Carolina it was the showcase for crushing clan. The seventh cave very. You heard . Of them. Thats the same several that was slaughtered at the battle. Same people, same guys. The democrat of the advertisement. He didnt support reconstruction. Whatat grant sent in was excellent. Very interesting story. Anot enough time to tell it all here. We are very informed about who waswi in the klan. Theag other prong was a legal j one. Itit was just established in pat specifically to cope with disorders in the south. Grant had a first rate attorney general. He was personally and totally committed. This is a supervised prosecutio. Thousands of klansman were arrested. Theyen were very brave and no ooattacking or lynching, or raping. Men,n women, and children. They were very brave faced with the carbines of the seventh calvary. They were cowards. They were tough. When he had helpless victims they werent helped. I have a lot more questions and we have 10 minutes and that microphone is on. Id loveth for you to pose your questions. It was told to me. The cc over here will come and beat you. Anyone . Dont be shy. Im curious from yankie yankee in the north. I have written a loth. Of history this is out of what i have been writing about and all my books about american thhistory. Dealt with aspects of slavery and sometimes the politics of slavery that effected the founding and national government. A large partpa of how congress s dealing thee problem of slavery and so forth. Onor a more person nal way wheni was younger doing civil rights work with the klan of the 19 60s. Not connected and a lot of time between my own experience from years ago. Its always been very prominent on my mental and moral map. Hello. Im a senior in college and thought it was interesting to thear what previous generations were taught when we talk about the era of reconstruction. You hit the nail on the head regarding one specific criticism about the failure to really create an economic way for blace americans. While we do appreciate hearing some of the more positive iterations of how people feel i haalmost wonder if that specific criticism is vast and really important criticism. Like today wee see the consequences of that and the conversation on reparations as well. Going beyond reconciliation. A lot a of conversations about what they would look like mow do how do you hold those things at the same time. How do you encourage people to still view the era of reconstruction in a positive light whenth we consider the consequences are so intense even today. All of thehe above is true. History isnt just one thing is icfull of contradictions. Part of being mature as a society andli being polisted calorie mature is facing up to contradictions. Grant owned a slave at one point. I lived in San Francisco and people pulled his statute down. He freed more individual through his military acts than any other figure in American History. Okay, just pointing that out as a contradiction. I think, what we need is to be fully informed. Its not a matter of making a moral judgment about which one s,does. Yes, i do. I do. Its regrettable. Im not saying you do. One encounters this. We t need to see everything so much of the truth needs to be restored. Its not the time to start ignoring it again. We need to view it as a cautionary tail and rights can be completely taken away unless we are proactive. I absolutely agree if there isis a takeaway id agree with that. Other questions, please. I got that kind of education. I lived here for decades. Grantorder number 11 was one of his biggest failures. That required all jews to leave from the departments that he oversaw in 24 hours. It was a big group here in nashville. Can you comment on whether he was totally responsible for issuing this order. There is a story about his father having been in the cotton business and trying to make money so forth and dealing with jewish traders. Can youis comment on his involvement . Sure. You are quiet right. It was a shameful order. It was b countered by lincoln within days. Ntered by Lincoln Lincoln was appalled by it. Grant was able to be appalled by it too. He immediately understood what was wrong with that. He was concerned later as president. To repair. To repair. Dawhatever damage might have ben done. Thisis included the first jewish governor. He could understand when he did something wrong. Thats my answer to it. His father, his father was in business with merchants that happened to be jewish. Grant did the wrong thing. Mean, pointed at the wrong people otherwise. Heat index knew it. Heat index knew it. Hes not a man with an unblemish life but he tried to make a mends. We have time for one more. You spoke about successes during reconstruction but ultimately reconstruction ended before it accomplished a lot of the longterm structural objectives. What do you think were the factors that lead to his downfall. Im happy to have that esquestion. Over here they were making gestures. Last question . Right. I read a lot about that in the c book. The real failure came because voters lost interest in the south and in pain for reconstruction. In 1874 the republicans lost control of the house of representatives. The house of representative from 1874 there was no more money to support federal troops. Increasing the numbers. Theyen should somewhere been increased. They were under military occupation it was a million federal troops by the time the war ended in jewel of 1865. There were 12,000 federal n troops. Yourd heard, the south is crushd by military occupation, its just made up. Its not so. When they are used. Worked. Y are used. Congress wouldnt pay for it any more. Republicans out of office grant andd republican for the Republican Party. We severely undercut by a faction known as them. They were not. They were more conservative republicans they did their best to subvariety. To some extent they succeeded. It was very expensive to carry out reconstruction and prosecute it cost a fortune to prosecute. They didnt want to pay for it any more. Any more. Experience again and again. Thank you to ferguson and thank you to all of you for being here. Thank you. Friday night, watch cspan 2024 campaign trail a weekly round up providing a one stop shop to discover where they travel across the country. Update poll numbers and campaign acts. Watch cspan 2024 campaign trail friday night online at cspan. Org or download the podcast on the free mobile app. Your unfiltered view of politic. Weekends are an intellectual feast. Every saturday American History tv documents americas stories. Book tv springs you the latest nonfiction books coming from these Television Companies. You think its just the community no, its way more than that. Come cars is partnering to make sure students are ready for everything. Comcast, along with the Television Companies support cspan 2 as a public service. They will return for the start of the second session of congress. The senate convenes on january h and house on january ninth. Two federal budget deadlines on january 19th. The other on february second. We are awaiting the other side or chamber that leader mcconnell will figure out the best way to get this done quickly. Follow when congress returned on the cspan network. Free local video app or any time online at cspan. Org. Your unfiltered view of government. The thing. Its good to be with you in this setting as opposed to the federal courthouse where we usually spend our days and weve a lot to cover about this really Remarkable Book that congratulations and glad its finally out. Just to start with a basic question, who who are