Revolution and Counterrevolution in America

The history of the United States is a history of violence, oppression, speculation, theft, enslavement, and war. But it is also a history of mass resistance, sacrifice, and revolutionary expropriation. In Revolution and Counterrevolution in America, John Peterson examines three defining periods of US history: the American Revolution, the Civil War, and Reconstruction. Under the banner of liberty, the thirteen colonies overthrew British rule, ushering in the rule of the American bourgeoisie. However, enshrined in the US Constitution was the insoluble contradiction of slavery. To abolish this vile institution, a Second American Revolution was required-the Civil War. What began as a war to preserve the Union was transformed into a revolutionary war to end slavery. The convulsive period of revolution and counterrevolution known as Reconstruction followed. Despite their heroic efforts at self-organization and defense, the aspirations of millions of freedpeople were betrayed by the Northern capitalists. All of these struggles shaped the American nation-state and laid the basis for US imperialism. In these pages, there are countless lessons to be learned about the dynamics of revolution and counterrevolution as a new generation of revolutionaries prepares for the momentous class battles yet to come.