Graphic of part of the Emancipation Proclamation
Rights and POwer: The POlitics of Reconstruction
Link to Part 1 of Section 4: Presidential Reconstruction Link to Part 2 of Section 4: Congress and Civil Rights Link to Part 3 of Section 4: The National Debate Over Reconstruction; IMpeachment; and the Election of Grant Link to Part 4 of Section 4: Reconstruction Government in the South Link to Biographies in Section 4

Reconstruction, 1867 (Library of Congress)

Reconstruction, 1867
(Library of Congress)

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The heavens are filled with portraits of American heroes from the North and South, including John C. Calhoun, Daniel Webster, and Abraham Lincoln.

Below is a vignette with black and white infants sleeping beneath an American eagle holding a streamer that reads, "All men are born free and equal."

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This elaborate allegory with religious overtones embodies the lofty ideals associated with the early years of Reconstruction. The United States, depicted as a colossal pavillion, is literally being reconstructed as the old columns of slavery are replaced with Justice, Liberty, and Education.

Details from Reconstruction
Copyright 2003
he Meaning of Freedom: Black and White Responses to Slavery From Free Labor to Slave Labor Rights and Power: The Politics of Reconstruction The Ending of Reconstruction Epilogue: The Unfinished Revolution Additional Resources Credits for this Exhibit Link to return to Digital History Home Link to return to Reconstruction Home Introduction