Eric Foner's Forever Free

In Forever Free: The Story of Emancipation and Reconstruction, author Eric Foner analyzes the traditional understandings of the Reconstruction period immediately following the American Civil War. Foner begins by explaining that such traditional understandings came from white Southerners who blamed their misfortunes on greedy Northerners and inept African Americans. Rather than agreeing with such traditional understandings, Foner attempts to overthrow such beliefs by arguing in favor of African Americans. Particularly through their development of beneficial institutions, their creation of new economies, and their contributions to both local and national governments. Beginning the book with The Peculiar Institution of slavery, the author begins describing the origins of slavery in the
Although backed by visual essays throughout the book by Joshua Brown, there is still a strong central argument between the two of them. Particularly, both authors do a wonderful job in an area that is usually lacking in historical novels. It is often times that the author gets so caught up in trying to prove their point that they become dependent on one side of an argument. But this doesn’t happen here. Throughout the entirety of the novel Foner does a good job of comparing the ideas and viewpoints from both the North and the South. Making his argument that much stronger. Although his main argument revolves around the African American influence during the Reconstruction period, he is successful in portraying both Southern and Northern experiences to get his point across. Another area that Foner succeeds at is being able to make the novel an easy read. Although written as a history book, at no point in Forever Free does Fonder become engrossed in details confusing his reader. Because of this he is able to educate the reader while still maintaining the readers