In the aftermath of the Civil War, Americans of Union and Confederate persuasions had to effect reconciliation. They did so by seeking out that which they had in common rather than dwelling on their differences. Families on both sides shared the same Revolutionary War heritage, and that heritage became a subject which could reunite the country. Former Union Army General U. S. Grant occupied the White House after the war, and he presided over the centenary of the nation in 1876.
By the end of the Civil War, the Revolutionary War generation had become extinct. There were few Americans left alive who had personally looked upon such figures as George Washington and Nathaniel Greene. There was no one who could describe how they spoke. Americans had to face the fact that the United States had a history, and it was incumbent upon them to record it or lose it. As the nation approached 1876, each county was urged to write its history. Because most counties lacked someone with the skills of preparing their histories, private companies such as Goodspeed’s of Boston and Lewis Publishing Company of Chicago assembled staffs to write the county histories of the nation for a fee. They were meeting a need, providing a service, and hoping to earn a profit.
They took as their motto the great historian Macaulay’s quotation, “The history of a country is best told in a record of the lives of its people.” The publishers prepared mini-biographical sketches of the inhabitants of counties. If a prospective biographee agreed to purchase a copy, he would be included. If he were an avid supporter of the venture, the publishers would also include a copper plate engraving of his likeness for an additional fee. For even more money, his wife could be likewise featured. These images caused the publications to be dubbed “mug” books.
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