''Race and Reunion: The Civil War in American Memory'' is a 2001 book by the American historian

David W. Blight David William Blight (born 1949) is the Sterling Professor of History, of African American Studies, and of American Studies and Director of the Gilder Lehrman Center for the Study of Slavery, Resistance, and Abolition at Yale University. Previousl ...

. The book was awarded the

Frederick Douglass Prize The Frederick Douglass Book Prize is awarded annually by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History and the Gilder Lehrman Center for the Study of Slavery, Resistance, and Abolition at Yale University Yale University is a Private unive ...

for the best book on

slavery Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...

of 2001.

Content

The book looks at the aftermath of the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

and argues that sectional division was lessened and reconciliation achieved at the expense of memory of slavery and the continuing effects of racial prejudice and discrimination on the United States. Blight investigates how the Civil War was reimagined, with white soldiers on both sides sharing common valor and glory of military campaign, eliding the destruction of slavery from its central role as the integral cause of the war. He describes the way

Lost Cause The Lost Cause of the Confederacy (or simply Lost Cause) is an American pseudohistorical negationist mythology that claims the cause of the Confederate States during the American Civil War was just, heroic, and not centered on slavery. First ...

states rights In American political discourse, states' rights are political powers held for the state governments rather than the federal government according to the United States Constitution, reflecting especially the enumerated powers of Congress and the ...

, and the

Old South Geographically, the U.S. states known as the Old South are those in the Southern United States that were among the original Thirteen Colonies. The region term is differentiated from the Deep South and Upper South. From a cultural and social s ...

myths were promoted by Southerners in literature and popular culture. These ideas were influential for decades, and published in textbooks, histories and other works.

Reception

Blight’s work was widely praised by other scholars. István Vida writes, "It is justified to call Professor Blight a pioneer of this field f memory studies and his ''Race and Reunion'' offers the most comprehensive study of the War...rel

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on a stupendous variety of primary sources." In ''Rhetoric & Public Affairs'', Wilbur C. Rich writes, "Blight's book exposes the misinformation, puffery, and distortions that characterized Southern memories and history." In awarding Blight the $25,000 Frederick Douglass Prize, the award’s sponsors said:

“Blight’s book is not only good history, it is superb writing. The masterful and engaging style of ''Race and Reunion'' makes it extraordinarily appealing to a broad audience. That is important, because few Americans have a clear understanding of the impact of slavery in our nation’s history. This book will be read, and it will make a difference.”

References

{{reflist 2001 non-fiction books Books about African-American history Books about military history History books about the American Civil War Books by David W. Blight