Series

Watch Reconstruction: America After the Civil War (2019) Online

7.04 votes201955mEndedDocumentaryOfficial site

Synopsis

Explore the transformative years following the American Civil War, when the nation struggled to rebuild itself in the face of profound loss, massive destruction, and revolutionary social change. The twelve years that composed the post-war Reconstruction era (1865-77) witnessed a seismic shift in the meaning and makeup of our democracy.

Episodes

Season 1

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1. Part 1, Hour 1Now viewing2019-04-0955mThe aftermath of the Civil War was bewildering, exhilarating...and terrifying. African Americans had played a crucial role in saving the Union and now, as the country grappled with the terms and implications of Reconstruction, they struggled to breathe life into their hard-won freedom. The result was a second American Revolution.
2. Part 1, Hour 22019-04-0955mPost-Civil War America was a new world. For African Americans living in the former Confederacy, Reconstruction was what historian W. E. B. Du Bois once described as their “brief moment in the sun.” But support for the social, economic, and political gains they achieved didn’t last long. A controversial presidential election in 1876 deals Reconstruction a grievous blow.
3. Part 2, Hour 12019-04-1655mAn examination of the years 1877-1896, a transitional period that saw visions of a “New South” set the stage for the rise of Jim Crow and the undermining of Reconstruction’s legal and political legacy. While some African Americans attempted to migrate, the vast majority remained in the South, where sharecropping, convict leasing, disfranchisement, and lynchings drew a “color line”.
4. Part 2, Hour 22019-04-1655mThe turn of the century is known as the ‘nadir’ of race relations, when white supremacy was ascendant and African Americans faced both physical and psychological oppression. Racist imagery saturated popular culture and Southern propaganda manipulated the story of the Civil War and Reconstruction. But African Americans found ways to fight back, using artistic expression to put forward a “New Negro.”

Cast

Top Billed Cast

Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
Self - Host

Availability

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PBS Documentaries Amazon Channel

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FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Reconstruction: America After the Civil War available to watch online?

Yes - see the "Where to watch legally" section on this page for streaming, rental and purchase options.

How many seasons does Reconstruction: America After the Civil War have?

Reconstruction: America After the Civil War has 1 season and 4 episodes.

When did Reconstruction: America After the Civil War first air?

Reconstruction: America After the Civil War first aired in 2019.

Is Reconstruction: America After the Civil War still running?

Reconstruction: America After the Civil War's status on TMDB is: Ended.

What genre is Reconstruction: America After the Civil War?

Reconstruction: America After the Civil War is classified as Documentary.