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Monumental: Oscar Dunn and His Radical Fight in Reconstruction Louisiana
Monumental tells, for the first time, the incredible story of Oscar James Dunn, a New Orleanian born into slavery who became America's first Black lieutenant governor and acting governor. A champion of universal suffrage, civil rights, and integrated public schools, Dunn fought for radical change during the early years of Reconstruction in Louisiana, a post-Civil War era rife with corruption, subterfuge, and violence.
A graphic history informed by newly discovered primary sources, Monumental resurrects, in vivid detail, Louisiana and New Orleans after the Civil War--and presents an iconic American life that never should have been forgotten. Contextual essays and a map and timeline add layers of depth to the narrative. Monumental is a story of determination, scandal, betrayal, and how one man's principled fight for equality and justice may have cost him everything.
A graphic history informed by newly discovered primary sources, Monumental resurrects, in vivid detail, Louisiana and New Orleans after the Civil War--and presents an iconic American life that never should have been forgotten. Contextual essays and a map and timeline add layers of depth to the narrative. Monumental is a story of determination, scandal, betrayal, and how one man's principled fight for equality and justice may have cost him everything.
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2021
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108 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 15 reviews
September 17, 2022
No period of U.S. history is more neglected, misrepresent and distorted than is Reconstruction. For a century or more the little most students learned of the period were lies constructed by Lost Cause racists. It was portrayed as a period of corruption where unscrupulous Northerners manipulated and exploited ignorant Blacks for their own profit. Though there were always those who pushed back against these distortions (W.E.B. Du Bois, for instance) the racist myths about the period in public perception persisted up until recent decades.
Oscar Dunn is a forgotten giant of the Reconstruction era. His life refuted all the official lies so long taught about the period. He was an intelligent, educated, and capable Black man. He was a home grown leader of his people. And he was acknowledged, even by his political opponents and enemies, to be incorruptible. Oscar Dunn was the first Black man elected as Lieutenant Governor in the United States. He was the first man of color to serve as acting Governor in the United States. Yet despite this, possibly because of it, his memory was all but erased from the public consciousness.
Monumental is Oscar Dunn’s graphic biography, written by a descendant. It’s informative, interesting, well researched and vividly illustrated. It includes notes, bibliography, and index. Eric Foner, the preeminent historian of Reconstruction, called it, “Visually compelling, deeply researched, and original in its account of Reconstruction in Louisiana.”
Books about the American Civil War are endless. Every kicked up, second rate general has a biography. There’s books on every obscure battle. Next time you are looking for a book about the period, instead of reading another of that hoard, consider instead reading this book about a forgotten hero and giant of Reconstruction who deserves to regain his place in America’s collective memory.
Oscar Dunn is a forgotten giant of the Reconstruction era. His life refuted all the official lies so long taught about the period. He was an intelligent, educated, and capable Black man. He was a home grown leader of his people. And he was acknowledged, even by his political opponents and enemies, to be incorruptible. Oscar Dunn was the first Black man elected as Lieutenant Governor in the United States. He was the first man of color to serve as acting Governor in the United States. Yet despite this, possibly because of it, his memory was all but erased from the public consciousness.
Monumental is Oscar Dunn’s graphic biography, written by a descendant. It’s informative, interesting, well researched and vividly illustrated. It includes notes, bibliography, and index. Eric Foner, the preeminent historian of Reconstruction, called it, “Visually compelling, deeply researched, and original in its account of Reconstruction in Louisiana.”
Books about the American Civil War are endless. Every kicked up, second rate general has a biography. There’s books on every obscure battle. Next time you are looking for a book about the period, instead of reading another of that hoard, consider instead reading this book about a forgotten hero and giant of Reconstruction who deserves to regain his place in America’s collective memory.
October 26, 2021
Oscar Dunn was the first Black lieutenant governor in the USA, and, briefly, the first Black acting governor. He was also the first Black official to make an official visit to the White House. He died young in mysterious circumstances, which some think was poisoning. This history was almost lost. The first historians of the reconstruction era wanted to present it as a mistake. They only wanted to write about the corrupt and incompetent men who served then, while Dunn was both competent and honest, even according to his political foes. The author of this work is a descendant of Dunn and has worked to set the record straight.
New Orleans during and after reconstruction is a fascinating place. Even before the civil war, there were many free Black people living there, some wealthy and influential. Some owned slaves. The city was captured by the Union quickly after the start of the war, and slavery was abolished there long before the war ended. Black people were allowed to vote, and schools were desegregated. But conflicts about race were far from over. The story told here brings that back to life.
I like this book because of the story. The art does not appeal to me at all. Even worse, the text is tiny and hard for my old eyes to read. If the intended audience is young people, their eyes might be able to handle it, so I won't deduct a star for that.
New Orleans during and after reconstruction is a fascinating place. Even before the civil war, there were many free Black people living there, some wealthy and influential. Some owned slaves. The city was captured by the Union quickly after the start of the war, and slavery was abolished there long before the war ended. Black people were allowed to vote, and schools were desegregated. But conflicts about race were far from over. The story told here brings that back to life.
I like this book because of the story. The art does not appeal to me at all. Even worse, the text is tiny and hard for my old eyes to read. If the intended audience is young people, their eyes might be able to handle it, so I won't deduct a star for that.
February 24, 2022
It's so awesome to hear stories like this come to light, and also unbelievable that they could have ever been forgotten! Reconstruction is such an interesting part of American history that we learn almost nothing about in school. It was great to learn about Dunn's rise in politics, but also to just hear more about the politics and social climate of the time. Reading about New Orleans during this 20-30 year stretch felt like reading about the Wild West! I was a fascinating read and I learned a lot. Nonfiction graphic novels are such a treat - one of my new favorite genres.
October 12, 2023
A fine biography of a significant but neglected figure in U.S. history, Oscar James Dunn, the first Black lieutenant and acting governor of not only Louisiana but any state in the country. He took office following the civil war, and the book also serves as a brief look at the rise, fall and erasure of the Reconstruction period.
The author, Brian K. Mitchell, is a descendant of Dunn's stepchildren and inserts himself into the story with an effective framing sequence set in the 1970s. His diligent research reveals Dunn's childhood as a slave and confirms that Dunn was America's first acting governor, not the frequently cited P. B. S. Pinchback, Dunn's successor as Louisiana lieutenant governor. The author seems to have an axe to grind against Pinchback -- about whom I know little myself -- and his admirers may be shocked to see him come off as a villain of the tale. As the story got mired in the internecine struggles of Louisiana's Republican Party my attention started to flag, not helped by the writing being a bit dry and the art a bit awkward and murky.
But I felt the book picked up again with the end matter's historiography of Reconstruction and examination of source material. There's a map showing how the major events of Dunn's life -- from birth to burial -- played out over a surprisingly small number of blocks in New Orleans. And even the endnotes are full of wonderful asides about the research and Dunn's life that I wish had made it into the body of the graphic novel.
FOR REFERENCE:
Contents: Introduction. Oscar Dunn, Forgotten Hero -- Part One. Origins -- Part Two. War and Emancipation -- Part Three. The Riot and the Radicals -- Part Four. The Black Lieutenant Governor -- Part Five. In Need of an Exorcism -- Part Six. No Greater Divide -- Part Seven. Collapse -- Part Eight. Monuments of Mournful Hearts -- Historiography: Reconstructed Narratives -- Primary Sources: Finding Oscar Dunn -- Timeline -- Oscar Dunn's New Orleans -- Glossary -- Acknowledgments -- Graphic History Notes -- Bibliography -- Index -- About the Creators
The author, Brian K. Mitchell, is a descendant of Dunn's stepchildren and inserts himself into the story with an effective framing sequence set in the 1970s. His diligent research reveals Dunn's childhood as a slave and confirms that Dunn was America's first acting governor, not the frequently cited P. B. S. Pinchback, Dunn's successor as Louisiana lieutenant governor. The author seems to have an axe to grind against Pinchback -- about whom I know little myself -- and his admirers may be shocked to see him come off as a villain of the tale. As the story got mired in the internecine struggles of Louisiana's Republican Party my attention started to flag, not helped by the writing being a bit dry and the art a bit awkward and murky.
But I felt the book picked up again with the end matter's historiography of Reconstruction and examination of source material. There's a map showing how the major events of Dunn's life -- from birth to burial -- played out over a surprisingly small number of blocks in New Orleans. And even the endnotes are full of wonderful asides about the research and Dunn's life that I wish had made it into the body of the graphic novel.
FOR REFERENCE:
Contents: Introduction. Oscar Dunn, Forgotten Hero -- Part One. Origins -- Part Two. War and Emancipation -- Part Three. The Riot and the Radicals -- Part Four. The Black Lieutenant Governor -- Part Five. In Need of an Exorcism -- Part Six. No Greater Divide -- Part Seven. Collapse -- Part Eight. Monuments of Mournful Hearts -- Historiography: Reconstructed Narratives -- Primary Sources: Finding Oscar Dunn -- Timeline -- Oscar Dunn's New Orleans -- Glossary -- Acknowledgments -- Graphic History Notes -- Bibliography -- Index -- About the Creators
March 8, 2021
I really enjoyed learning about a figure I had never known before. Dunn sounds like a man of integrity. The book also pointed out how complex the period of Reconstruction was, and how much was accomplished, such that we ought not remember it only as a failure.
August 29, 2024
I will begin by saying that on the level of personal interest, as well as on the level of public history, this is one of my favorite books that I have ever read. Mitchell first and foremost embraces the popular medium of the graphic novel to move forward legitimately academic and extraordinarily well-researched work. The story of Oscar Dunn on its own would lend itself to a very interesting book, but the added accessibility that comes from Mitchell's decision to format it as a graphic novel is extraordinarily refreshing to myself as a public historian. I love Monumental as legitimately well-written historical work, and I respect Monumental as a unique piece of public history. Whichever way you slice it, Mitchell has produced a work that he should be proud of.
July 3, 2021
A fascinating look at U.S. Reconstruction after the Civil War. It was fairly recent for me that I fully realized the extent to which Black citizens achieved measures of equality after the Civil War, only to have those measures drastically scaled back as the nineteenth century came to an end. I had always envisioned racial progress in the U.S. as a ever-progressing roughly linear incline -- maybe slow, but always marching on. Unfortunately, that's not the case.
This story of Oscar Dunn, Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana (1868-1871) and then Acting Governor (May-July 1971). While this is a largely positive portrayal of Dunn by his descendant, Mitchell doesn't pretend to be unbiased. He offers up his own family history, the route by which he became interested in Dunn, and a lengthy bibliography of resources. Graphic novels with extensive sources and notes are still rare in my experience, but Mitchell does not skimp here. The tale itself follows Oscar Dunn, but firmly places him in national context, referring to Ulysses Grant and various national efforts to reconcile the country after the Civil War. There is also frank discussion of the different perspectives of African Americans in New Orleans during this time period -- they were not all united -- and at the end, a look at the way Reconstruction has been discussed in the years since.
The illustration style has something of the effect of painting on glass. It's not my favorite aesthetic, but it is intriguing to look at.
This story of Oscar Dunn, Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana (1868-1871) and then Acting Governor (May-July 1971). While this is a largely positive portrayal of Dunn by his descendant, Mitchell doesn't pretend to be unbiased. He offers up his own family history, the route by which he became interested in Dunn, and a lengthy bibliography of resources. Graphic novels with extensive sources and notes are still rare in my experience, but Mitchell does not skimp here. The tale itself follows Oscar Dunn, but firmly places him in national context, referring to Ulysses Grant and various national efforts to reconcile the country after the Civil War. There is also frank discussion of the different perspectives of African Americans in New Orleans during this time period -- they were not all united -- and at the end, a look at the way Reconstruction has been discussed in the years since.
The illustration style has something of the effect of painting on glass. It's not my favorite aesthetic, but it is intriguing to look at.
June 21, 2022
A excellent graphic biography about Oscar Dunn, a New Orleanian born into slavery who became America's first Black lieutenant governor and acting governor. Dunn championed the goals of "Radical Reconstructon," such as suffrage, civil rights, and integrated public schools during the early years of Reconstruction in Louisiana, a post-Civil War era rampant with corruption and violence. The art by Barrington S. Edwards is visually compelling, as is the deeply researched narrative that is quite insightful about the early years of Reconstruction in the former Confederacy, and particularly in Louisiana. A good foundational knowledge of the Civil War and slavery is needed to appreciate and understand the story, so best suited for teen and and adult readers.
June 22, 2022
A graphic novel seems like the perfect form for this story; the author is a distant relative of this under-appreciated Reconstruction-era Louisiana politician, having done the historical research about Dunn as doctoral work. Recounting details of Dunn's life that have never been collected before, they still probably aren't quite enough for a print biography, but the visual medium fills the space, gives a sense of New Orleans in that era, and can bring to life the white mob violence that threatened, and then prevailed, during this time. The digitally created, but almost, watery artwork is saturated in a way that gets across humid New Orleans, especially in its scenes of nightlife.
February 26, 2022
This graphic account of the first black Lt. Governor in the Unites States is packed full of information about the reconstruction era and Louisiana politics. I learned a ton and wonder how the story of this man is not more widely known. I hope that changes.
October 16, 2025
Beautifully constructed ode to one of America's least understood historical eras. Written with class, heart and respect, this book introduces a new generation to a forgotten, but crucially important figure in reconstructionist history.
December 16, 2022
Great history to learn, but the way it was told was not really suitable for comics - lots of expository boxes vs dialogue or movement
May 31, 2023
outstanding history - lots (too many?) details of a complicated story hardly ever told
July 9, 2025
A beautiful historical story telling with a brutal insight on the late 1800s
Displaying 1 - 14 of 15 reviews