Reconstruction Era National Historical Park

About this activity

The Reconstruction Era National Historical Park is a hugely important exploration into a period in US history when millions of newly freed African Americans had to integrate into everyday life. 

The "Reconstruction Era" occurred between 1861 and 1900 when the country had to work out how these newly freed people could integrated into the various systems of society - from social, political, economic, and labor. This was a time of significant transformation and this national historical park reflects on the most important issues during this tumultuous time period.

It's at the Reconstruction Era National Historical Park where you can learn how the Reconstruction Era began after the first US soldiers arrived in what were then slaveholding territories and the local enslaved people escaped from these plantations and farms. Some fled into free states, others found safety with the U.S. forces.

Why a visit to this National Historical Park is important is because despite the importance of Reconstruction, many Americans actually know very little about what happened, and why.  What they do know is often outdated or inaccurate.

Historians once portrayed the Reconstruction Era as a failure and suggested it occured between the years 1865 and 1876 when actually it lasted much longer.

It was during this period that Americans debated incredibly profound questions: What did freedom mean? What kind of country would the US become? What kind of political system should govern the country? What were the rights of citizenship, and who could be a citizen?

It's these types of questions and more that kids can ask and discover answers to. It's an incredibly important learning experience for them, and one that can aided by the guided tours offered within the park. 

A historic day out in historic Beaufort!