Changes

Beginning in the 1960s, the generation of historians, strongly influenced by the Civil Rights movement, portrayed slavery, the Civil War and Reconstruction in terms of the advancement achieved by the abolition of slavery and the coming of emancipation to those who had been enslaved for centuries.  

Beginning in the 1960s, the generation of historians, strongly influenced by the Civil Rights movement, portrayed slavery, the Civil War and Reconstruction in terms of the advancement achieved by the abolition of slavery and the coming of emancipation to those who had been enslaved for centuries.  

[[Eric Foner]] dated his major survey of Reconstruction from 1863 to emphasize the success of abolition (via the Emancipation Proclamation). Foner's ''Reconstruction: America's Unfinished Revolution, 1863-1877'' (1988) explicitly put the "unfinished" theme in its subtitle, explicitly connecting the 1860s to the second half of the 20th century when the issues of civil rights were taken up anew.  Neoabolitionists reappraised the original abolitionists as heroes, even [[John Brown]].<ref>Martin Duberman, ed. ''The Antislavery Vanguard: New Essays on the Abolitionists'' 1966</ref>) and echoed their moral values.  Contemporary historians, including David W. Blight, Eric Foner, Michael Les Benedict reject the Dunning School notion that Reconstruction was inherently corrupt because it gave the vote to illiterate blacks who lacked a political education. They argue that Reconstruction had many positive elements, beginning with the enfranchisement of African-Americans, and the introduction of public schools in the South where they had not previously existed.  They emphasize that racism itself is the worst form of corruption and violation of republicanism.

[[Eric Foner]] dated his major survey of Reconstruction from 1863 to emphasize the success of abolition (via the Emancipation Proclamation). Foner's ''Reconstruction: America's Unfinished Revolution, 1863-1877'' (1988) explicitly put the "unfinished" theme in its subtitle, explicitly connecting the 1860s to the second half of the 20th century when the issues of civil rights were taken up anew.  Neoabolitionists reappraised the original abolitionists as heroes, even [[John Brown]],<ref>Martin Duberman, ed. ''The Antislavery Vanguard: New Essays on the Abolitionists'' 1966</ref> and echoed their moral values.  Contemporary historians, including David W. Blight, Eric Foner, Michael Les Benedict reject the Dunning School notion that Reconstruction was inherently corrupt because it gave the vote to illiterate blacks who lacked a political education. They argue that Reconstruction had many positive elements, beginning with the enfranchisement of African-Americans, and the introduction of public schools in the South where they had not previously existed.  They emphasize that racism itself is the worst form of corruption and violation of republicanism.

==Usage history==

==Usage history==