W.E.B. Du Bois, Black Reconstruction: an essay toward a history of the part which Black folk played in the attempt to reconstruct democracy in America, 1860-1880

W.E.B. Du Bois, an imminent African American scholar of the early twentieth century, published a groundbreaking interpretation of black influence during the era of Reconstruction in his 1935 publication of Black Reconstruction. His work was writing against a historiography that presented Reconstruction as a period of “tragedy, chaos, criminality, and disaster for the South” as well as the common notion that blacks were ignorant, pitiful, non-actors in American history (6). Thus Du Bois’ aim is to place blacks at the center of the Civil War and Reconstruction to demonstrate the influential role they played during this time period and in history. They should no longer be overlooked or misrepresented by the reigning white supremacists view.

Though there are several central themes in Black Reconstruction—considering it is a whopping 746 pages—one of the most significant is the change over time during this twenty-year period. Du Bois details the evolution of federal laws involving land, labor, and their relationship to blacks and laboring whites. During, and immediately following, the Civil War there was a general disregard for laws, which Du Bois notes is typical after any war. It then transitioned to a labor war, as freed slaves, white laborers, and plantation owners tried to work through organizing labor without slavery. Du Bois states, there was an “attempt on the part of impoverished capitalists and landholders to force laborers to work on the capitalist’s own terms” (670). Things only became increasingly tumultuous as black and white men battled over access to the same jobs. White laborers were then gradually widening the gap between themselves and blacks in order to become more closely aligned with white landholders—leading to even more intense racial hatred.

The racial hatred is especially evident in Du Bois’ final chapter, “The Propaganda of History.” This was easily my favorite chapter because he highlights the problems and difficulties in writing history, a topic that withstands the test of time. Du Bois begins by emphasizing the troubles in the then current historiography of Reconstruction and blacks in general. Schoolbooks were plagued by government propaganda that tainted black with three key falsities: all Negroes were ignorant; all Negroes were lazy, dishonest and extravagant; Negroes were responsible for bad government during Reconstruction. The American government and historians were too often concerned with presenting “pleasant reading” for children and adults that painted the United States in a heroic manner—nearly always at the expense of blacks.There was seemingly no interest in seeking the truth but instead of proving a thesis. Historians and graduate students looked for evidence that supported their argument and disregarded everything else. Du Bois closes with several powerful statements about objectivity that are still relevant today and though I wish I could quote all of them, I will leave you with my two favorites.

In the first place, somebody in each era must make clear the facts with utter disregard to his own wish and desire and belief. What we have got to know, so far as possible, are the things that actually happened. Then with that much clear and open to every reader, the philosopher, and prophet has a chance to interpret these facts; but the historian has no right, posing as a scientist, to conceal or distort facts…(722).

We shall never have a science of history until we have in our colleges men who regard the truth as more important than the defense of the white race, and who will not deliberately encourage students to gather thesis material in order to support a prejudice or buttress a lie (725).

Is Du Bois successful in maintaining objectivity? This is up for debate. Perhaps instead of privileging whites, like the historians he criticizes, he does the opposite and privileges blacks. I am sure this will to turn into a hearty debate in class and I look forward to it.