In 1865, the United States emerged from the Civil War with a new birth of freedom. The war had ended slavery, and the nation was now faced with the task of reconstructing the South. This was a daunting task, as the South had been devastated by the war. The infrastructure was in ruins, the economy was in shambles, and there were millions of newly freed slaves who needed to be integrated into society.
The Reconstruction Era was a time of great hope and great betrayal. There were many who believed that the South could be rebuilt as a more just and equitable society. Others, however, were determined to maintain the old order of white supremacy. The result was a period of intense conflict and struggle, as the nation grappled with the legacy of slavery and the meaning of freedom.