Source: WEB DuBois 1918, Wikimedia

Reconstruction remains one of the most controversial aspects of U.S. history. During this time period, the United States made many promises to its newly freed slaves. The freedmen experienced tremendous gains. In the words of the great defender of African-American rights, W.E.B. DuBois, "The slave went free, stood a brief moment in the sun; then moved back again towards slavery."

DuBois died in 1963 on the day Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his famous I Have a Dream Speech. He did not live to see the rest of the story — how the country tried again to live up to its promises. Perhaps his view of Reconstruction was incomplete; we need to review the evidence.

Evaluating a time period in history is a difficult task. You need to have an understanding of the chronology of the era and look at primary and secondary sources. In this lesson, you will try to evaluate Reconstruction by doing a series of source analyses. Of course, this lesson will not expose you to enough documents to make a definitive opinion, but you will learn more about the condition of African Americans during Reconstruction while practicing skills as an historian.