The Second Founding
The Second Founding: How the Civil War and Reconstruction Remade the Constitution is a non-fiction book written by Eric Foner and published by W. W. Norton & Company in 2019. The book recounts the history of the three Reconstruction era amendments to the U.S. Constitution—the 13th, 14th and 15th—and the determined efforts by the U.S. Supreme Court and certain states to undermine the amendments, in particular, the right of all Americans to vote and enjoy full citizenship. As Foner summarized it in a New York Times essay:
Foner's book also argues that this late 19th century period in U.S. history is still relevant to the present day.
Awards
- Longlisted for the Cundill History Prize