Reconstruction was one of the most significant periods in Alabama history. Coming at the close of the Civil War in 1865, the period was filled with paradoxes and promises. Alabama found itself having to cope with a reordered society as fostered by the Thirteenth Amendment in December 1865. Labor relations became one of the most pressing issues of the period. Then, in 1868, Alabama had to contend with its first Republican governor. As unaccustomed as the state was to the introduction of a Republican governor, the state was even less prepared to see those persons who previously picked cotton were being considered as candidates for elective offices. This presentation focuses on the rise and fall of the Alabama Republican party and the accompanying black officeholders during Reconstruction. It addresses the successes and shortcomings of Reconstruction in Alabama by focusing on the social, economic, educational and political issues of the period.
Microphone needed; slide projector needed; large screen and digital projector needed
