Twenty Years of Congress, Volume 2 / From Lincoln to Garfield, with a Review of the Events Which Led to the Political Revolution of 1860

The volume surveys the turbulent congressional and national politics from the Civil War aftermath through the administrations that followed, focusing on Reconstruction controversies, the delicate responsibilities of Andrew Johnson and the political strains his policies produced, and the public reaction to Abraham Lincoln's assassination including the cross-country funeral and massive popular mourning. It recounts the victorious armies' ceremonial assembly in Washington, examines congressional debates, cabinet conflicts, and the shifting party and sectional forces that reshaped national governance, and offers a narrative of legislative events and personalities that contributed to the political transformations culminating in the era's electoral realignments.