The Doom of Reconstruction: The Liberal Republicans in the Civil War Era

Acknowledgments

Acknowledgments This project took longer and involved more people than the liberal republican movement it studies. While I liked getting to know the liberal republicans, the real pleasure of the last decade has been experiencing the intellect, support, generosity, and friendship of so many people. I owe countless debts to those who made this book possible. The history department at Pennsylvania State University provided years of financial support, including a Hill Dissertation Fellowship that allowed me to spend a semester at the Library of Congress. The archivists at the Library of Congress and the many other places I visited made the research possible with their enthusiastic and patient help. The Richards Civil War Era Center at Penn State, directed by William Blair, gave me a James Landing Fellowship, enabling me to have an uninterrupted semester of thinking and writing. The people at Penn State helped with this project and made my time in State College a pleasure. Fellow graduate students Jonathan Berkey, Barbara Gannon, Tristan Jolivette, Robert Sandow, David Smith, Mike Smith, and Jim Weeks all read a chapter of the dissertation—and provided hours of thoughtful conversation and years of friendship. Charles Holden supplied a place to stay on a research trip to North Carolina. Amy Greenberg, Paul Harvey, William Pencak, and James Rambeau all served on my dissertation committee and gave valuable comments that improved this manuscript. Joanne Reitano of LaGuardia Community College read a chapter on republican ideology and Paula Baker of Ohio State commented on a paper delivered at the American Historical Association Meeting about the party system and the election of 1872. Three historians deserve special mention. Michael F. Holt served as an outside dissertation committee member and generously drove to State College for the defense. He gave my dissertation a meticulous reading and made hundreds of written comments that immeasurably improved the manuscript. I was a relative Civil War novice upon arriving at Penn State, but that quickly changed under the guidance of Gary W. Gallagher. He taught me a great deal about the war and how to use primary sources, and he supervised the beginnings of my dissertation. He remained on my dissertation committee after leaving Penn State and still provides support and advice. Mark E. Neely Jr. became my advisor just as I started writing the dissertation and he read numerous drafts with- viii Acknowledgments out complaint, each time prodding me for sharper analysis and writing. He has been a wonderful mentor, setting an example of both outstanding scholarship and character. Studying with Mark has fundamentally changed how I think. My colleagues at East Tennessee State University have helped in many ways, including offering me a teaching schedule that provides time to research and write. Steve Fritz has been a role model, and has given constant encouragement and advice on publishing. Paul A. Cimbala at Fordham University Press took an early interest in this project and made sure that it would be published. Anne Miller edited the manuscript for Fordham University Press with great care, correcting many errors and making stylistic improvements. As an outside reader for Fordham University Press Michael Green gave the manuscript a Holtesque reading, saving me from numerous factual and interpretive mistakes. Mike understood what I wanted to do with the manuscript and pushed me to do it better, for which I owe him a huge debt. Friends and family made this project both possible and enjoyable. Mark and Daniel Oppenheimer hosted me while visiting archives in their cities. Tammy Murphy has been a friend since our first semester as undergraduates and has shared the academic journey. Roger and Judy Duffala are the perfect in-laws. Charles Slap’s keen intellect and Elizabeth Menist’s good heart have served as inspirations. Jackie Shanti has provided a lifetime of motherly encouragement and Carl McCargo has always been ready for a good debate. Derek Slap has been both a great brother and a best friend. Though she would prefer not to be mentioned at all in something that will be published, Nicole deserves my greatest thanks. For years she has read manuscript drafts, organized research notes, and listened to me talk about the liberal republicans. She has displayed more patience, understanding, and faith than I deserve. In my last months of revising the manuscript she gave birth to our daughter, Abigail Elizabeth. Nicole has made my life happy and complete. The Doom of Reconstruction ...