Reconstruction Era Resources
Want to learn more about the Reconstruction Era? These great resources will help you discover more about this extraordinary time period in American History.
- The Reconstruction Era (National Park Service)
- Five Myths About Reconstruction (James Loewen via the Zinn Education Report)
- South Carolina's Reconstruction (SC Department of Archives & History)
Think you know Reconstruction? Try this short quiz from the Encyclopedia Britannica and see where you stand on one of our nation's most critical time periods.
Reading About Reconstruction
ISRE Reading Guides (click titles below to download PDFs)
Additional Reading Lists (click titles below to be taken to the reading list website)
Reconstruction Reading List - Social Justice Books
This comprehensive reading list is primarily focused towards books for students and teachers, but is broken down by age group - Elementary & Middle, High School, Adult and Teachers.
Reconstruction - The Zinn Education Project
A diverse list from The Zinn Education Project, heavily focused towards teachers, including links to teaching activities, books, articles and more about the Reconstruction Era.
Five Best Books of the Last Year on Reconstruction 2024 - The Reconstruction Blog
Best Books on Reconstruction of 2025 - The Reconstruction Blog
Reconstruction Period in Beaufort County - Beaufort County Library
A fantastic regional reading list from Beaufort County Library's Beaufort District Collection about Reconstruction in the South Carolina Lowcountry. Includes references and links to priamry source collections, articles and more, as well as books.
Books Available Online
The Era of Reconstruction, 1861 - 1900 - A National Historic Landmarks Theme Study by the National Park Service that breaks this critical period of American history into six major themes.
The Negro in South Carolina During Reconstruction by A. A. Taylor - Published in 1924, this is one of the key Reconstruction texts written from an African American viewpoint.
Reconstruction Era Primary Document Collections
Civil War and Reconstruction Milestone Documents - A collection of milestone documents associated with these important periods in American history, curated by the National Archives. Includes the Emancipation Proclamation, Reconstruction Amendments (13th, 14th & 15th) among others. Click on "Civil War and Reconstruction" on the contents tab on the left to jump directly to that section.
Civil War and Reconstruction - A collection of documents related to the Civil War and Reconstruction from the National Constitution Center. Contains exceprts from each document and links to dull versions or transcripts of the documents.
Reconstruction: A Resource Guide - Special resource guide created by the Library of Congress. It includes digital materials, links and a bibliography.
Reconstruction Primary Source Set - Collection of primary sources related to the time period from the Library of Congress.
Civil War and Reconstruction Primary Source Timeline - A timeline of primary sources related to the Civil War and Reconstruction, developed by the Library of Congress.
The Freedmen's Bureau Online - Records of the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands.
South Carolina's Reconstruction - A fantastic online exhibit by South Carolina's Department of Archives and History on Reconstruction in the state of South Carolina. Includes direct links to many key Reconstruction Era primary sources for the state.
University of South Carolina Reconstruction Records - Digital collection of records relating to the Reconstruction history of the University of South Carolina.
After Slavery: Race, Labor and Politics in the Post-Emancipation Carolinas - A collection of source material relating to emancipation and Reconstruction in North and South Carolina hosted by the Lowcountry Digital Library.
Online Exhibits
Reconnecting with Reconstruction - A short online exhibit created by the Sea Island Consortium addressing six important Reconstruction figures from the South Carolina Lowcountry - Robert Smalls, Laura Towne, Francis Cardozo, Richard H. Cain, Frances Rollin Whipper and Joseph H. Rainey.
South Carolina and Reconstruction: A Virtual 360 Exhibit - A virtual view of the SC State Museum's exhibit on Reconstruction.
South Carolina's Reconstruction - A fantastic online exhibit by South Carolina's Department of Archives and History on Reconstruction in the state of South Carolina. Includes direct links to many key Reconstruction Era primary sources for the state.
Susie King Taylor: An African American Nurse and Teacher in the Civil War - A detailed and compelling online exhibit by the Library of Congress about African American nurse, teacher, and memoirist Susie King Taylor of the 1st SC Volunteers of African Descent / 33rd US Colored Troops.
Videos, Podcasts and Other Resources
Reconstruction 360 - A web and mobile application that utilizes 360 degree views and short documentaries to help bring a historical, social and geographic contect to the Reconstruction Era. The project was developed by SC ETV and funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities
Chronicling "Reconstruction" Sites in South Carolina - A podcast episode by Dr. Walter Edgar and featuring former ISRE Director Dr. Brent Morris.
For resources on the 1st SC Volunteers of African Descent / 33rd US Colored Troops, Women in Reconstruction and other specialized topics see the ISRE Research tab above left.