A history of the Reconstruction years, which marked the United States' most progressive moment prior to the Civil Rights movement, tells the stories of the African-American activists and officeholders who risked their lives for equality after the Civil War.

Robert Vesey's Charleston -- "An eagle on his button" : Black men fight for the union -- "To forget and forgive old scores" : war's end, activism's beginning -- "All de land belongs to de Yankees now" : the Freedmen's Bureau -- "The Lord has sent us books and teachers" : missionaries and community formation -- "We will remember our friends, and will not forget our enemies" : Black codes and Black conventions -- "Andrew Johnson is but one man" : the Progressive Alliance coalesces -- "We knows that much better than you do" : voting rights and political service -- "An absolute massacre" : white violence and the end of Reconstruction in the South -- "We shall be recognized as men" : the Reconstruction Era in memory -- The spirit of freedom monument.