(This class will be recorded.) This lecture looks at how Americans tried to heal the wounds of the Civil War in a series of reforms enacted between 1865 and 1877 known as Reconstruction. To accomplish this great leap forward, they rewrote dozens of laws and thrice amended the Constitution of the United States to guarantee the extension of the full rights of citizenship to African Americans. And it wasn’t just Black political participation that flourished during Reconstruction—so too did Black schools, Black churches, and various other Black-led institutions. We’ll spend today examining these dozen hopeful years and conclude by looking at how and why most of these leaps forward were swept away in the mid-1870s, only a decade after the end of the war – leaving unfinished business.

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About Washington Metro Oasis: our mission is to empower adults age 50+ to lead active, healthy and enriched lives through a unique mix of lifelong learning, social, health and volunteer programs. Winter 2025 registration opens on December 6.  You’ll find the full schedule of classes on our website OR you can contact us at 240-800-3745 or [email protected] to request a printed catalog.