A Nation Divided No More: The Origin of Reconstruction

The immediate aftermath of the Civil War and the political and social blueprint for Reconstruction, exploring how a shattered United States attempted to reunite, redefine freedom, rebuild the South, and determine the rights of nearly four million formerly enslaved people. This episode examines the competing visions of Abraham Lincoln, Andrew Johnson, and the Radical Republicans, the creation of the Reconstruction Amendments, and the fragile hopes, fierce resistance, and unresolved tensions that shaped America’s struggle to become whole again.