The Long Reconstruction ─ The Post-Civil War South in History, Film, and Memory

A century and a half after the Civil War, Americans are still dealing with the legacies of the conflict, including Reconstruction, and the many myths and legends spawned by these events. The Long Reconstruction: The Post-Civil War South in History, Film, and Memory addresses important issues of Reconstruction and its legacy by exploring how the events of Reconstruction have been remembered in popular history.

The Long Reconstruction uses popular cinema to examine central themes in the history of Reconstruction, including violence and terrorism; the experiences of African Americans as well as those of women and children; the Lost Cause ideology; and the economic reconstruction of the American South.

Analyzing influential films such as The Birth of a Nation and Gone with the Wind, as well as more recent efforts such as Cold Mountain, the authors show how the events of Reconstruction have been mythologized, and the historical impact of those myths on American culture.

This short, engaging book is essential reading for all those interested in the history of Reconstruction, historical memory, and popular culture.

Frank J. Wetta is Senior Fellow at the Center for History, Politics, and Policy, Department of History, Kean University in New Jersey.

Martin A. Novelli is Professor of Film, History, and Humanities at Ocean County College, New Jersey. He also teaches film history at the University of the Arts, Philadelphia.