Returning to the turbulent days of a nation divided, bestselling author and acclaimed historian James Robertson explores seventy fascinating figures who shaped America during Reconstruction and beyond.

Relentless politicians, intrepid fighters, cunning innovators—the times called for bold moves, and this resilient generation would not disappoint. From William Tecumseh Sherman, a fierce leader who would revolutionize modern warfare, to Thomas Nast, whose undefeatable weapon was his stirring cartoons, these are the people who weathered the turmoil to see a nation reborn.

Following these extraordinary legends from the battle lines to the White House, from budding metropolises to the wooly west, we rediscover the foundation of this great country.