The American Civil War (1861-1865), was the most traumatic event in this countrys history. To win the war, the Northern states ceded enormous power to the federal government. However, the paradigm shift in federal-state relations occurred during the Reconstruction Era of 1863 to 1877. A New Birth of Freedom, by author W. Thomas Minahan, examines that paradigm shift that occurred in Ohio during this time. The beginning chapters explore Ohios early political, social, and legal history and how the state grew to become a social microcosm of the entire country by 1860. The later chapters examine the changes to the political, social, and legal climate in the country, and particularly in the Buckeye State, during the 1860s and 1870s. Offering a comprehensive discussion of the effects of the Civil War and reconstruction on the development of Ohio state law, A New Birth of Freedom provides both historical detail on the antecedents to the law as well as an analysis of how federal and state constitutions evolved through the turn of the nineteenth century. It discusses the central role Ohio and Ohioans played in securing the future of the United States.