A brief history of Reconstruction
Clip: 5/19/2026 | 2m 32sVideo has Closed Captions
Reconstruction saw Black progress, then backlash erased gains after brief equality.
From 1866-1877, Reconstruction marked a brief era of interracial democracy, with Black Americans holding office and expanding education and public policy. Supported by efforts like the Freedmen’s Bureau, these gains were met with white backlash, leading to a rollback of rights. This was a lost opportunity that W.E.B. Du Bois viewed as pivotal.
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Support for American Masters is provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, AARP, Rosalind P. Walter Foundation, Judith and Burton Resnick, Blanche and Hayward Cirker Charitable Lead Annuity Trust, Koo...
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A brief history of Reconstruction
Clip: 5/19/2026 | 2m 32sVideo has Closed Captions
From 1866-1877, Reconstruction marked a brief era of interracial democracy, with Black Americans holding office and expanding education and public policy. Supported by efforts like the Freedmen’s Bureau, these gains were met with white backlash, leading to a rollback of rights. This was a lost opportunity that W.E.B. Du Bois viewed as pivotal.
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship- Historians were writing histories of reconstruction, completely devoid from historical fact that if you gave equal rights to black and white Americans, there would be a complete social disaster.
That black people just don't have the capacity to take part intelligently in political activity and voting and holding office.
This was the public view of Reconstruction at that point.
- [Narrator] 1866 to 1877 saw America's first experiments with truly interracial democracy.
- Black people took that citizenship and all the rights and duties that came along with that and got active in every single way.
We had over 2000 African American politicians, elected, appointed officials.
- We see progressive taxation coming from black legislatures.
There was no real public education system in the south, but black people wanted education for their children, and in doing so, they're also providing education for white children as well.
- [Narrator] A widespread system of Negro public schools, day and night schools, industrial schools, Sunday schools, and colleges founded or substantially aided in their earliest days by the Freedmen's Bureau.
- [Narrator 2] The more you found African Americans exercising their new rights, the more there was a white backlash.
- Reconstruction falls and Southern states resume their rights, their state's rights, and we know what came next from that.
Du Bois just couldn't get over it because what if they had carried through all of those reparative actions then, where would the country be?
How far along would we be?
- The slave went free, stood a brief moment in the sun, then moved back again toward slavery.
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At the 1900 Paris Expo, Du Bois used data to present a visually captivating case against racism. (2m 25s)
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How Du Bois used "The Crisis" and NAACP efforts to expose racism and celebrate Black achievement. (3m 10s)
NewW.E.B. Du Bois' childhood, family and education
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Born in 1868, W.E.B. Du Bois rose from hardship to academic excellence. (3m 43s)
W.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel With a Cause
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Explore the life and legacy of notable Black scholar and civil rights pioneer W.E.B. Du Bois. (2m 29s)
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Support for American Masters is provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, AARP, Rosalind P. Walter Foundation, Judith and Burton Resnick, Blanche and Hayward Cirker Charitable Lead Annuity Trust, Koo...