“What freedmen and freedwomen accomplished between 1865 and 1877 was nothing short of astonishing, especially considering the extent and seriousness of the impediments put in their way, from uninterrupted racism and white supremacy to inadequate assistance from the North and campaigns of terrorist violence. Given the climate, it shouldn’t be surprising that the gains made at the beginning of Reconstruction, as impressive as they were, proved to be fleeting.”
