Climbing Up to Glory - by Wilbert L Jenkins (Paperback)

About the Book

The Civil War was undeniably an integral event in American history, but for African Americans, whose personal liberties were dependent upon its outcome, it was an especially critical juncture. In Climbing Up to Glory, Wilbert L. Jenkins explores this defining period in a story...

Book Synopsis

The Civil War was undeniably an integral event in American history, but for African Americans, whose personal liberties were dependent upon its outcome, it was an especially critical juncture. The Union defeat of the Confederacy brought African Americans a simultaneous victory over their captors, freeing them from slavery and domination and establishing them as masters of their own fate. But African Americans were far from passive victims of the war. Black soldiers fought on both sides of the conflict_Union and Confederate. In Climbing Up to Glory: A Short History of African Americans during the Civil War and Reconstruction, Wilbert L. Jenkins explores this defining period in a story that documents the journey of average African Americans as they struggled to reinvent their lives following the abolition of slavery. In this highly readable book, Jenkins examines the unflagging determination and inner strength of African Americans as they sought to construct a solid economic base for themselves and their families by establishing their own businesses and banks and strove to own their own land. He portrays the racial violence and other obstacles blacks endured as they pooled meager resources to institute and maintain their own schools and attempted to participate in the political process. The family unit was also impacted by these profound societal changes. During this tumultuous time, African Americans struggled to rebuild families torn apart by slavery and to legalize family relationships such as slave marriages that were previously deemed unlawful. Compelling and informative, Climbing Up to Glory is an unforgettable tribute to a glowing period in African-American history sure to enrich and inspire American and African-American history enthusiasts.

Review Quotes

"Blending primary and secondary sources, Professor Jenkins's brief history of blacks during the Civil War and Reconstruction is an excellent starting point for anyone interested in the subject." --Loren Schweninger, University of North Carolina at Greensboro

"Engaging and occasionally provocative, Climbing Up to Glory is a compelling survey of the history of black people during incredibly tumultuous times. Jenkins covers a very wide range of themes and issues, paying special attention to gender and to relations between blacks and Native Americans. Thematically expansive while concise in length, this text will be of great interest and usefulness to general readers and to scholars as well." --Reginald F. Hildebrand, author of The Times Were Strange and Stirring: Methodist Preachers and the Crisis of Emancipation

"Climbing Up to Glory is a moving historical account of African-American life and social struggles during the difficult transition from enslavement to freedom. Building upon the keen insights of his first book on African Americans in postbellum Charleston, South Carolina, Wilbert Jenkins deepens our understanding of emancipation as a grassroots social movement. Professional and lay readers alike will find this book extraordinarily instructive." --Joe William Trotter, Carnegie Mellon, author of The African American Experience

About the Author

Wilbert L. Jenkins is associate professor of history at Temple University.