Reconstruction Archives - Zinn Education Project

Book, Dark Sky Rising by Tonya Bolden and Henry Louis Gates Jr

Dark Sky Rising: Reconstruction and the Dawn of Jim Crow

Book - Non-fiction. By Henry Louis Gates Jr. with Tonya Bolden. 2019. Readers trace the rise and fall of racial equity during Reconstruction as increasingly violent white supremacy and new forms of oppression take hold at the turn of the 20th century.

Inauguration of President Hayes. | Zinn Education Project

March 5, 1877: Hayes Takes Office in 1877 Compromise

Rutherford Hayes was sworn into office as the 19th President of the U.S. with a devastating impact on Reconstruction.

Freedmen's Bureau | Zinn Education Project

March 3, 1865: Freedmen’s Bureau Established

The Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands was established within the War Department to undertake the relief effort and social reconstruction after the Civil War.

Members of the 55th Massachusetts | Zinn Education Project

Feb. 18, 1865: Black Soldiers March into Charleston

The Union Army moved into Charleston, S.C., the the city where the Civil War had begun four years earlier.

March 1, 1874: White League Formed

A group of Confederate veterans in Louisiana formed the White League with the goal of using terrorism to undermine Reconstruction.

Feb. 25, 1870: Hiram Revels Sworn into Office

Hiram Revels was sworn into office as senator from Mississippi, becoming the first African American to serve in the U.S. Senate.

Thaddeus Stevens | Zinn Education Project

Feb. 5, 1866: Thaddeus Stevens Proposes Land Distribution Amendment

Congressman Thaddeus Stevens offered an amendment to the Freedmen's Bureau Bill to authorize the distribution of public land.

Ellen’s Broom

Picture book. By Kelly Starling Lyons. 32 pages. 2012. Story about a young girl during Reconstruction whose parents are finally able to have a legal marriage while honoring a family wedding tradition.

Jan. 30, 1884: Couple Reunited During Reconstruction

During the Reconstruction Era, people emancipated from slavery searched for their loved ones throughout…

Jan. 20, 1870: Hiram Rhodes Revels Elected to U.S. Senate During Reconstruction

Hiram Rhodes Revels was the first African American to be elected to serve in the U.S. Senate.

Special Field Order No. 15 | Zinn Education Project

Jan. 16, 1865: Special Field Order No. 15

Demands by Black ministers after the Ebenezer Creek Massacre led to the short-lived land distribution during Reconstruction known as Special Field Order No. 15.

Radical members, SC Legistlature | Zinn Education Project

Jan. 14, 1868: South Carolina Constitutional Convention

The South Carolina constitutional convention met with a majority of Black delegates, adopting a constitution that provided for all people regardless of race, economic class, or gender.

Jan. 7, 1868: Mississippi Constitutional Convention

The Mississippi Constitution was one of the first pieces of legislation that provided a uniform system of free public education for children regardless of race.

Jan. 6, 1874: Robert B. Elliott Spoke of Need for Civil Rights Act

Rep. Robert B. Elliott gave speech to advocate for Civil Rights Act which passed a year later.

Thirteenth Amendment | Zinn Education Project

Dec. 18, 1865: Ratification of 13th Amendment

Secretary of State William H. Seward declared the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution to have been adopted.

Dec. 12, 1870: Joseph H. Rainey First African-American in U.S. House of Reps

Joseph H. Rainey, from South Carolina, was the first African-American to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Dec. 9, 1872: P. B. S. Pinchback First Black Governor

P. B. S. Pinchback of Louisiana become the first Black governor in the U.S.

Rev. Henry McNeal Turner | Zinn Education Project

Dec. 9, 1867: Georgia Constitutional Convention

The Georgia Constitutional Convention was held with 33 African Americans and 137 whites.

13th Amendment Engraving | Zinn Education Project

Dec. 6, 1865: 13th Amendment Ratified

The 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, officially ended the institution of slavery.

Nov. 28, 1898: First National Convention of the Ex-Slave Mutual Relief, Bounty, and Pension Association

The Ex-Slave Mutual Relief, Bounty, and Pension Association was founded with a dual mission to organize mutual aid for its members and to pass federal pension legislation that would compensate every formerly enslaved person.

Dec. 9, 1864: Ebenezer Creek Massacre

People who had escaped from slavery and were following the Union Army, were blocked from crossing the Ebenezer Creek, leading to their death.

May 3, 1866: Memphis Riots

White civilians and police killed 46 African-Americans.

The Vicksburg Massacre | Zinn Education Project

Dec. 7, 1874: Vicksburg Massacre

Whites attacked and killed many Black citizens who had organized for a black sheriff to remain in office during the Vicksburg Massacre.

Nov. 1, 1890: Mississippi Constitution

Mississippi adopted a state constitution with poll tax and literacy tests to roll back the gains of the Reconstruction era.

The New Orleans Riot at Mechanics' Institute | Zinn Education Project: Teaching People's History

July 30, 1866: New Orleans Massacre

The New Orleans Massacre occurred when white residents attacked Black marchers near the reconvened Louisiana Constitutional Convention.