A must see. This work will be a major force in bridging the divide that exists today. What you never learned in US History is all here presented in a factual, sensitive, non confrontational way.
4 Reviews
Landmark work by a noted scholar.
hjlivingston30 April 2019
A Superb Historical Retrospective
lavatch31 October 2021
Warning: Spoilers
It is difficult to find fault with this outstanding, four-part PBS series on the complex topic of Reconstruction in the post-Civil War years.
The strength of the program is in the insightful commentary of the scholars. Their words took the viewer into the world of the 1860s and '70s when the Reconstruction period attempted the dual objectives of returning the defeated Southern states to the Union and the landmark passing of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments that assigned Constitutional civil rights to the freed slaves.
The program traced the developments from the tragic end of Reconstruction and the long period in the late-nineteenth century that was a devastating setback to the post-Civil War efforts. It was multiple abhorrent rulings of the United States Supreme Court, such as the reversal of the Civil Rights Act of 1875 in the 1883 court ruling and Plessy v. Fergusson in 1896, that sealed the doom of Reconstruction.
If there was any shortcoming to the series, it was the implication that the United States continues to be a deeply racist society. There are moments in the program that suggest that nothing has changed since the mid-nineteenth century. This approach marginalizes the heroic stand taken by the Republic Congress in the late 1860s that overturned Andrew Johnson's initial and unsatisfactory approach to Reconstruction.
There is no doubt that the slavery issue was the most pressing issue of the nineteenth century in America. And there has been no nation in human history that has been as successful as this nation in developing a tolerant society unlike any other on the planet. Along the way, there have been disgraceful moments and often slow progress. Of course, more work always likes ahead. But the story of ending slavery, then instituting a set of legal rights is one of the most positive attributes of the history of the United States of America.
The strength of the program is in the insightful commentary of the scholars. Their words took the viewer into the world of the 1860s and '70s when the Reconstruction period attempted the dual objectives of returning the defeated Southern states to the Union and the landmark passing of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments that assigned Constitutional civil rights to the freed slaves.
The program traced the developments from the tragic end of Reconstruction and the long period in the late-nineteenth century that was a devastating setback to the post-Civil War efforts. It was multiple abhorrent rulings of the United States Supreme Court, such as the reversal of the Civil Rights Act of 1875 in the 1883 court ruling and Plessy v. Fergusson in 1896, that sealed the doom of Reconstruction.
If there was any shortcoming to the series, it was the implication that the United States continues to be a deeply racist society. There are moments in the program that suggest that nothing has changed since the mid-nineteenth century. This approach marginalizes the heroic stand taken by the Republic Congress in the late 1860s that overturned Andrew Johnson's initial and unsatisfactory approach to Reconstruction.
There is no doubt that the slavery issue was the most pressing issue of the nineteenth century in America. And there has been no nation in human history that has been as successful as this nation in developing a tolerant society unlike any other on the planet. Along the way, there have been disgraceful moments and often slow progress. Of course, more work always likes ahead. But the story of ending slavery, then instituting a set of legal rights is one of the most positive attributes of the history of the United States of America.
Awesome and w/relevance for today
reg-9001928 August 2020
Awesome! Very well done with so many various historical scholars - of various races - telling aspects of history. Great visuals from the times. Some things are relevant today in terms of the dog whistles to be very fearful of anything black and how during reconstruction it was used to get back the power of the rights that were bestowed upon them and how white society in the south deconstructed those rights with poll tax, etc as well as creating raping white women villains. White historians told that part. Wilmington NC experienced something similar as Black Wall St. in Tulsa years before but they had political power as well. Great historical and academic yet engaging work. Awesome job Dr. Gates!
Daughters of the Confederacy
kh-1743824 March 2021
Warning: Spoilers
I did not understand before watching this series the history of the statues of all the "heroes" erected by the Daughters of the Confederacy. That our tax dollars are ever used to spend one dime to mow around these awful reminders that people were once kidnapped and forced to work for free is really quite unbelievable.
I'm of the age that I remember the restaurant chain called Little Black Sambo. I did not know the history of the character until this series-more evil handiwork from the daughters again.
I'm of the age that I remember the restaurant chain called Little Black Sambo. I did not know the history of the character until this series-more evil handiwork from the daughters again.
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