Dec 20, 2009

The Grave | Historical Context

Reconstruction Era in the South
The period following the Civil War in the South was a tumultuous one. Although Abraham Lincoln had favored a more forgiving approach to reuniting the states, following his assassination more radical Republicans took over, eventually managing Southern state governments by military rule. Already defeated in the Civil War, the South was further humiliated by the continued forcible domination of the North. By 1890, just a decade before the setting of ‘‘The Grave,’’ the South was ranked last in every category when compared to other regions:...