The development of the Reconstruction period can be traced back to the history of Independence. In 1776 Britain's American colonies broke from its mother country and formed a new nation called the United States of America following the Treaty of Paris. Keeping such a vast country was not easy; the nation of over 40 states had diverse people and different cultures emerged as the nation grew. In the initial years of America, the country faced many diverse challenges, of establishing new colonies, resistance from native Indians, Mexico Spanish wars and inter-state conflicts.

The most traumatic event in nation's history after its independence was the Civil War (1861-65). The survival of United States as one nation

After the devastating war there were two major problems facing the re-united country, the reconstruction of the south which was torn apart by the war and the emancipation of the slaves. The slaves now free citizens with equal rights had to be emancipated; the government had the responsibility to not only to ensure that African Americans enjoyed the equal rights but also to devise measures to educate or train such a huge work force. The Reconstruction was a transitional period of the United States; it marked the Return of the South to the Union and the rebuilding of the country.

Perman also discusses the measures taken by the Southern states to restrict rights to the African American and they enacted codes and formed laws which made difficult for the African Americans to exercise their rights or live in full liberty. The African Americans were denied jobs by the white supremacists, the labor system of the South was devastated but many of the plantation owners and industrialists created a new modern slavery by making these freed slaves for the low wage labor. Perman's account is lucid and gives a fresh and concrete account of the Reconstruction era; he deconstructs many of the myths and pseudo issues created by the modern historians. Thus Perman believes that “Reconstruction may be better understood if historians devote less attention to assigning blame for its failure and more attention to the complex problems of rebuilding the nation, which he contends may have been virtually insurmountable.”

was at risk during the war and on the outc

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