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The End of the Second Reconstruction

Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The End of the Second Reconstruction explores the fragility of democracy in the United States amid the Trump administration's attacks on civil rights legacy. Richard Johnson draws disturbing parallels between the post-Civil War Reconstruction era, which saw African Americans gain full democratic rights only to have them reversed, and the current risks facing the civil rights advances known as the 'Second Reconstruction'. The book analyses political strategies to prevent history from repeating in undermining America’s multi-racial democracy.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

Ideal for students and scholars of race, politics, and history in the US, as well as engaged general readers seeking a historical context for current political challenges.

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"Why multi-racial democracy in America is at risk if we don't learn the lessons of history"--

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Democracy in the United States is under threat. The Trump administration’s attack on the legacy of the civil rights movement is undermining America’s claims to be a multi-racial democracy.

This moment of peril has worrying parallels with a previous era of American history. The gains of the Reconstruction era after the Civil War, which saw African Americans given full democratic rights, were totally reversed within a generation. There is a serious risk that the advances of the civil rights era – the ‘Second Reconstruction’ – will go the same way unless we learn from the past and appreciate that American democracy has never been a story of linear progress.

Skilfully analysing the similarities – and the differences – between the 1870s and the 2010s, Johnson outlines a political strategy for avoiding a disastrous repetition of history in the twilight of the Second Reconstruction.

Anyone interested in seeing the Trump presidency in wider historical context, from students of race, politics and history in the US to the interested general reader, will find The End of the Second Reconstruction an essential and sobering guide to our past – and, if we’re not careful, our future.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Rick Valelly, Swarthmore College praises Johnson's brilliant comparison of America’s 'two reconstructions', highlighting the real threat to multiracial democracy and Johnson’s proposed political solutions.
Kimberley Johnson, New York University describes the book as a sobering read that challenges myths of American exceptionalism, emphasising the need for strong multi-racial politics to rebuild democratic institutions.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781509538348

Publisher: John Wiley and Sons Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 19 June 2020

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Polity Press

Audience: Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 18.0mm

Width: 137.0mm

Height: 213.0mm

Weight: 295g

Pages: 160

About the Author

Richard Johnson is Lecturer in US Politics and International Relations at Lancaster University

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