History, 19th Century 

On January 1, 1863, President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation and changed the course of history. More then 2 years later, the end of the Civil War and the passing of the Thirteenth Amendment ushered in an era of dramatic change known as Reconstruction. Freed African Americans reunited with lost family members, set up churches and schools, received wages for their work, and voted for the first time. They made these achievements while dealing with continued racism and hatred, corrupt laws restricting newly won freedoms, and the growth of the white supremacist organizations such as the Ku Klux Klan. Despite these and many other hardships, the african American men, women,and children of Reconstruction set in motion a long struggle for the equal rights of all people in the United States, regardless of race. - from Amzon