This titles gives a compelling historical account of the turbulent and troubled period of Reconstruction that followed the Civil War. Told from the perspective of freed African Americans, Hansen uses first-person narratives, contemporary documents, and other historical sources to provide a concise account of this era. Also included are brief biographies of important black leaders, such as Frederick Douglass, W.E.B. DuBois, Martin R. Delany, Thaddeus Stevens, and Phillis Wheatley.