Why Study Reconstruction?
The Reconstruction era was a pivotal moment in American history. Civil rights were set in motion as Americans grappled to rebuild after the division and trauma of the Civil War, raising essential questions about freedom and democracy.
Sholem Aleichem: A World in Transition: Emancipation, Acculturation, and Antisemitism - part 1
This excerpt from "Sholem Aleichem: Laughing in the Darkness" depicts the various ways Jewish communities responded to economic and social changes.
Sholem Aleichem: A World in Transition: Emancipation, Acculturation, and Antisemitism - part 2
This excerpt from "Sholem Aleichem: Laughing in the Darkness" depicts the various ways Jewish communities responded to economic and social changes.
Telling Fact From Fiction on Social Media
Journalists and media professionals discuss the benefits and challenges of using social media to report and understand any fast-moving story.
The Ancient Roots of Anti-Judaism
Scholars trace anti-Jewish myths, hatred, and violence back to the time of the Roman Empire in this historical overview of anti-Judaism’s roots.
The Danger of Silence
In this TED Talk, teacher, poet, and activist Clint Smith reflects on finding the courage to use his voice to speak up for truth and justice.
“I’d Do it All Over Again”: Last Hurrah for the Veterans of Cable Street
Participants of the Battle of Cable Street in London draw connections between the antisemitism in 1936 and racism targeted at the neighborhood’s Bangladeshi community today.
Race and Belonging in Colonial America: The Story of Anthony Johnson
Learn about Anthony Johnson, a Black forced laborer who became free in seventeenth-century Virginia.
Black Officeholders in the South
These tables provide data about African American officeholders in the South during Reconstruction.
Black Officeholders in the South (en español)
In Spanish, these tables provide data about African American officeholders in the South during Reconstruction.
Changing Names
Three formerly enslaved people discuss their names and the changes they underwent after Emancipation.