What Was Reconstruction?

Reconstruction — the period after the Civil War — was meant to give newly freed Black people the same rights as white people. And indeed there were monumental changes once slavery ended — thriving new Black communities, the first Black members in Congress, and a new sense of dignity for many Black Americans. But this time of hope didn’t last long and instead, a deeply segregated United States continued on for another hundred years. Find out what went wrong in this fascinating overview of a troubled time.