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.