Reconstruction era
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The Reconstruction era, often simply called Reconstruction, was a period in United States history that followed the American Civil War and was dominated by the legal, social, and political challenges
The distribution of wealth per capita in 1872, illustrating the disparity between North and South in that period
The Southern economy had been ruined by the war. Charleston, South Carolina: Broad Street, 1865
A political cartoon of Andrew Johnson and Abraham Lincoln, 1865, entitled "The Rail Splitter At Work Repairing the Union". The caption reads (Johnson): "Take it quietly Uncle Abe and I will draw it closer than ever." (Lincoln): "A few more stitches Andy and the good old Union will be mended."
Monument in honor of the Grand Army of the Republic, organized after the war
The Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution made slavery and involuntary servitude illegal, except as punishment for a crime. The amendment was passed by the Senate on April 8, 1864, by
Abolitionist imagery focused on atrocities against slaves. (Photo of Peter, 1863.)
Abraham Lincoln
Representative James Mitchell Ashley proposed an amendment abolishing slavery in 1863.
Celebration erupts after the Thirteenth Amendment is passed by the House of Representatives.