The Civil War Era and Reconstruction I and II full text of Harper's Weekly, 1857-1877. Harper's Weekly was one of the most important serials of nineteenth-century America, because it provided detailed information about cultural, military, political, and social issues. Its illustrations helped readers visualize current events. Its editorials were a major force in shaping public opinion in the North. The three parts of HarpWeek, an indexed, full-text database of Harper^s Weekly, provide searchable access to the events, people, and culture of the Civil War Era, 1857-1865; Reconstruction I, 1866-1871; Reconstruction II, 1872-1877.