The Abolitionist Roots of Reconstruction

Recent events have revealed the importance of teaching and understanding the period of Reconstruction in United States history. Drawing on research from her forthcoming book, The Rise and Fall of the Second American Republic: A New History of Reconstruction, 1860-1900 (2023), Manisha Sinha will discuss how educators can incorporate the histories of abolition and Reconstruction in a more robust way by understanding how ordinary American citizens, men and women, Black and White, helped to expand the boundaries of American democracy through progressive constitutionalism and state formation at the national and state levels. Reconstruction, which was overthrown through a concerted campaign of political terror and legal chicanery, reveals the contested nature of American democracy with important historical lessons for our own times. By the end of this webinar, teachers will be able to draw on these insights to develop an expanded sense of this era in their classrooms.