Chapter 15 “The Era of Reconstruction 1865-1877” creates a sweeping survey of the period immediately after the guns fell silent from the violence of the Civil War. The next great challenge for America would be to re-unite and heal the nation. This effort would include rebuilding the South and creating a society that would allow 4 + million freedmen and freedwomen (ex-slaves) to find their place as contributing members of the country.
This era is known as Reconstruction. As the textbook elaborates, there was the promise and potential for lasting and change, but unfortunately, many obstacles and challenges derailed the opportunities for a more equal society.
The intellectual co-founder of the NAACP, W.E.B. Bois once referred to the Reconstruction era by stating, “The slave went free: stood a brief moment in the sun: then moved back again toward slavery.”