In Redemption: The Last Battle of the Civil War by Nicholas Lemann, Lemann uses Adelbert Ames as the main character. Adelbert Ames is someone who can be seen in many ways by different people. Ames served as an army general, senator, and finally governor of Mississippi. Ames served as governor during the Reconstruction period. Whites did not agree with Reconstruction and took it upon themselves to try to end it by killing blacks. They were against blacks' right to vote. Ames tried to do what he could to stop the violence. Although some people believe that Adelbert Ames was not effective in his role as governor of Mississippi, he actually proved to be a loyal and hard-working man and strived for everyone to be equal. First of all, General Ames decided, while in the Senate, to run for governor of Mississippi to help blacks get their rights back. Ames was very “passionate about bringing rights and education to the Negro” (37). He believed that everyone, black or white, should be treated equally. He believed that everyone should be able to vote in elections and should have the right to education. Unfortunately, whites did not believe that blacks should be allowed to vote in elections or receive an education. In fact, whites did everything they could to ensure that blacks did not receive an education or could not vote. Ames decided that if he could become governor of Mississippi, he could try to put an end to the way whites treated blacks and enforce the laws that had been established. Ames left and ran for governor of Mississippi to put his plan into action. Additionally, Ames showed his support for blacks through the speeches he made before the governor's election. During…middle of the paper…he should fight for his people and their rights. Furthermore, another example is when James Ford Rhodes “presented Adelbert Ames as an honest man” (193). Ames stayed true to his word, fought for equal rights, fought for what he believed in, and always did what he said he would do. For this reason he was known as an honest man. Subsequently, Adelbert Ames was very effective in his role as governor of Mississippi. Being governor during the Reconstruction period was no easy task. He did everything he could to stop white violence against blacks. Even though many blacks were mistreated and killed during his time as governor, he continued to move forward to ensure that all blacks were free, able to vote, and receive an education. Ames did what any self-respecting governor would do and fought for black rights and for all to be equal.