20.03.01 Writings of Historians of the “Dunning School” Concerning Political Reconstruction, by Howard Ray White, a 2013 Society Publication.
The “Dunning School” refers to a group of historians who shared a view of the correct way to examine the history of political reconstruction in the conquered southern states and how to report that history in their writings. This group of historians understood that the history of political reconstruction needed to be studied and presented on each state that suffered political reconstruction, individually, for each had a different experience. To study and present political reconstruction of the conquered states from a Washington City perspective or a national perspective made nonsense of the story. The mentor of this group of historians was professor William Archibald Dunning (1857-1922) of Columbia University in New York City. The era of political reconstruction began in 1865, with the surrender of the Confederate armies, and concluded in 1877 with the resurgence of the Democratic Party in the Federal House and Senate.
We of the Society of Independent Southern Historians encourage the study of Political Reconstruction on a state-by-state basis and recommend the following histories by men, considered mentored by William Archibald Dunning:
- William Archibald Dunning, Reconstruction: Political and Economic, 1865-1877 (1907).
- Claude Bowers, The Tragic Era (1929)
- W.W. Davis, The Civil War and Reconstruction in Florida (1913).
- J. G. de Roulhac Hamilton, Reconstruction in North Carolina (1914).
- Walter L. Fleming, Civil War and Reconstruction in Alabama (1905).
- Walter L. Fleming, Documentary History of Reconstruction . . . 2 Volumes (1906-1907)
- J. W. Garner, Reconstruction in Mississippi (1901).
- C.W. Ramsdell, Reconstruction in Texas (1910).
- John. S. Reynolds, Reconstruction in South Carolina, 1865–1877 (1905).
- Thomas Staples, Reconstruction in Arkansas, 1862-1874 (1923).
- C. Mildred Thompson, Reconstruction in Georgia (1915).
- E. Merton Coulter, Civil War and Readjustment in Kentucky (1926)
- E. Merton Coulter, The South During Reconstruction (1947)
Concerning histories of Political Reconstruction written after World War II, the Society offers a general rule of thumb: They are generally not worth reading, for they are colored by attempts to be “politically correct,” to over-emphasize the Ku Klux Klan and to downplay the resulting political corruption at the state level, the county level and the city-town level.
To view these works of history, click on the link below to go to the corresponding page in our web-site.
- William Archibald Dunning, Reconstruction: Political and Economic, 1865-1877 (1907)
https://southernhistorians.org/the-societys-southern-history-recommended-reading/02-period-histories/02-08-period-histories-political-reconstruction-and-the-struggle-for-healing-from-1866-to-1884/02-08-06-period-histories-political-reconstruction-and-the-struggle-for-healing-from-1866-to-1884-a-suggested-reading/
- Claude Bowers, The Tragic Era (1929).
https://southernhistorians.org/the-societys-southern-history-recommended-reading/02-period-histories/02-08-period-histories-political-reconstruction-and-the-struggle-for-healing-from-1866-to-1884/02-08-08-period-histories-political-reconstruction-and-the-struggle-for-healing-from-1866-to-1884-a-suggested-reading/
- W.W. Davis, The Civil War and Reconstruction in Florida (1913).
https://southernhistorians.org/the-societys-southern-history-recommended-reading/02-period-histories/02-08-period-histories-political-reconstruction-and-the-struggle-for-healing-from-1866-to-1884/02-08-09-period-histories-political-reconstruction-and-the-struggle-for-healing-from-1866-to-1884-a-suggested-reading/
- J. G. de Roulhac Hamilton, Reconstruction in North Carolina (1914).
https://southernhistorians.org/the-societys-southern-history-recommended-reading/02-period-histories/02-08-period-histories-political-reconstruction-and-the-struggle-for-healing-from-1866-to-1884/02-08-10-period-histories-political-reconstruction-and-the-struggle-for-healing-from-1866-to-1884-a-suggested-reading/
- Walter L. Fleming, Civil War and Reconstruction in Alabama (1905).
https://southernhistorians.org/the-societys-southern-history-recommended-reading/02-period-histories/02-08-period-histories-political-reconstruction-and-the-struggle-for-healing-from-1866-to-1884/02-08-11-period-histories-political-reconstruction-and-the-struggle-for-healing-from-1866-to-1884-a-suggested-reading/
- Walter L. Fleming, Documentary History of Reconstruction: Political, Military, Social, Religious, Educational and Industrial, 1865 to the Present, Two Volumes (1906-1907)
Go to 02.08.18 to see our review of this work.
- J. W. Garner, Reconstruction in Mississippi (1901).
https://southernhistorians.org/the-societys-southern-history-recommended-reading/02-period-histories/02-08-period-histories-political-reconstruction-and-the-struggle-for-healing-from-1866-to-1884/02-08-02-period-histories-political-reconstruction-and-the-struggle-for-healing-from-1866-to-1884-a-suggested-reading/
- C.W. Ramsdell, Reconstruction in Texas (1910).
https://southernhistorians.org/the-societys-southern-history-recommended-reading/02-period-histories/02-08-period-histories-political-reconstruction-and-the-struggle-for-healing-from-1866-to-1884/02-08-12-period-histories-political-reconstruction-and-the-struggle-for-healing-from-1866-to-1884-a-suggested-reading/
- John. S. Reynolds, Reconstruction in South Carolina, 1865–1877 (1905).
https://southernhistorians.org/the-societys-southern-history-recommended-reading/02-period-histories/02-08-period-histories-political-reconstruction-and-the-struggle-for-healing-from-1866-to-1884/02-08-01-period-histories-political-reconstruction-and-the-struggle-for-healing-from-1866-to-1884-a-suggested-reading/
- Thomas Staples, Reconstruction in Arkansas, 1862-1874 (1923).
https://southernhistorians.org/the-societys-southern-history-recommended-reading/02-period-histories/02-08-period-histories-political-reconstruction-and-the-struggle-for-healing-from-1866-to-1884/02-08-13/
- C. Mildred Thompson, Reconstruction in Georgia (1915).
https://southernhistorians.org/the-societys-southern-history-recommended-reading/02-period-histories/02-08-period-histories-political-reconstruction-and-the-struggle-for-healing-from-1866-to-1884/02-08-14/
- E. Merton Coulter, The South During Reconstruction (1947).
https://southernhistorians.org/the-societys-southern-history-recommended-reading/02-period-histories/02-08-period-histories-political-reconstruction-and-the-struggle-for-healing-from-1866-to-1884/02-08-15/
- E. Merton Coulter, Civil War and Reconstruction in Kentucky (1926).
Go to 03.07.01 to see our review.
HRW