The New South and the Old West 1866-1890

The end of the Civil War brought significant change to the United States. The war had destroyed the South, ushering in an age of rebuilding that created a new South free from slavery and open to progress and industrialization. But much of the promise of the post-war South was lost in the political heat of Reconstruction. At the same time, more people began to migrate to the Old West. But just as Reconstruction and its aftermath ultimately failed to lift newly freed blacks out from under white racism, so the settling of the West left thousands of Indians dispossessed and defeated. The New south and the Old West: 1866-1890 takes readers on a journey through the efforts to reconstruct the ravaged South and the push to create new life in the promising land to the west of the Mississippi.

Discovering U.S. History spans the complex and dramatic history of the United States from prehistoric times to the present day. Through a compelling narrative, thought-provoking boxed insets, and lively illustrations, each volume brings to life the people and events that have shaped the nation.

Tim McNeese is associate professor of history at York College in York, Nebraska. He has published more than 100 books and educational materials and has earned a citation in the library reference work Contemporary Authors and multiple citations in Best Books for Young Teen Readers. In 2006, McNeese appeared on the History Channel program Risk Takers/History Makers: John Wesley Powell and the Grand Canyon.
Consulting editor Richard Jensen is Research Professor at Montana State University, Billings. He has published 11 books on a wide range of topics in American political, social, military, and economic history.