reconstruction & amendments
Reconstruction was the period after the Civil War when the United States tried to rebuild the country and bring the Southern states back into the Union. It was also a time when newly freed Black Americans began building new lives, families, schools, and communities. This period was full of hope, progress, challenges, and resistance. Facts: • Reconstruction lasted from 1865 to 1877, beginning right after the Civil War. • The 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments ended slavery, granted citizenship, and protected voting rights for Black Americans. • Black men were elected to Congress, state legislatures, and local offices for the first time in U.S. history. The end of the Civil War brought legal freedom, but it did not bring immediate equality. Formerly enslaved people entered a society that lacked clear protections, resources, or consistent support. Reconstruction became a time of uncertainty as freedom existed in law but remained limited in prac...