Texas Reconstruction In Virginia Summary

The historiography of Reconstruction often failed to acknowledge contributions made by black leaders. During the latter part of the twentieth century historians began to re-evaluate Reconstruction in the southern states to include progress of African-Americans. In “Local Black Leaders during Reconstruction in Virginia,” Richard Lowe examines southern communities and black leaders after the Civil War. He concentrates the essay on re-examining historians’ negative impact of black reconstruction and argues black leaders faced a heavy burden to ensure political advancement in the aftermath of war. In comparison, Barry Crouch’s “Unmanacling” Texas Reconstruction; A Twenty Year Perspective,” also examines reconstruction historiography and support

First, the Dunning which stressed Reconstruction as a southern misfortune. Second, the revisionist argument analyzing Reconstruction success and contributions made by black southern communities. Finally, the post-revisionist that stressed the conservation of nation and state programs enacted after the Civil War. He argues little change has occurred in the writing of Reconstruction in almost one-hundred years. However, by the 1960s historians began to analyze new material that forced a re-evaluation of Texas Reconstruction historiography especially the Texas occupation army and the Freedmen’s Bureau. Crouch offers information on both sides, for example, William L. Richter believed the occupational army created problems because of the psychological and cultural impacts they placed upon the citizens in Texas. Whereas, Robert W. Shook argues there were so few troops in Texas that they had very little impact on Reconstruction

For example, perception of many former slaves assumed they were illiterate, however, revisionist historians have demonstrated a large portion of postwar black leaders did have some level of education. Through census reports and the Freedmen reports revisionist have proven many black leaders were not only educated, they held respectable jobs and paid taxes. In Lowe’s examination of Virginia reconstruction, he analyzes literacy, skin color (mixed race) and whether freedom came before or after the Civil War to determine if these factors contributed to black progress. The evidence proved black leaders elected to the Virginia convention of 1867-68 were literate, of mixed race and freed before the