Reconstruction: America after The Civil War

Episode 1

Part 1, Hour 1

Tue, Apr 9, 201955 mins

After the Civil War, efforts to realize a "new south" begin. Whites offered share cropping to blacks, but agreements were not understood (due to lack of literacy skill) and insurmountable debt meant continued oppression. The Supreme Court reversed rights to equal treatment, and by 1890 all-black communities formed, allowing businesses, governments, and distinctive cultures to live and flourish. Efforts to improve the economic and political status of blacks are met with resistance, restrictions, disenfranchisement, and consistent character assault. This episode offers many examples of how the entire nation struggled with the End of slavery. Prepare to learn about the depths to which people will go to to suppress cultures that don't mirror our own.