The Reconstruction era was born from the tumult and violence of the Civil War and delivered the most powerful changes the United States had seen since its founding. Black Americans in Washington, D.C., and its surrounding region were at the heart of these transformations, bravely working to reunite their families, build their communities, and claim rights long denied them. Meanwhile, in the capital, government leaders struggled to reunite and remake the nation. Famous individuals such as Frederick Douglass and Ida B. Wells played central roles, as did lesser-known figures like Emma Brown, the first African American teacher in Washington's public schools, and lawyer-journalist William Calvin Chase, longtime editor of the Washington Bee. Freedom Was in Sight! draws on the words and experiences of people who lived during Reconstruction, powerfully narrating how the impacts of emancipation and civil war rippled outward for decades. Vividly drawn by award-winning graphic artist Liz Clarke and written by Pulitzer Prize-finalist Kate Masur, a leading historian of Reconstruction, this rich graphic history reveals the hopes and betrayals of a critical period in American history.
Kate Masur is Board of Visitors Professor of History at Northwestern University and author, most recently, of Until Justice Be Done: America's First Civil Rights Movement, from the Revolution to Reconstruction. Liz Clarke lives in Cape Town, South Africa, where she works as an illustrator. Her work is featured in many graphic histories, including Witness to the Age of Revolution (with Charles F. Walker) and Abina and the Important Men (with Trevor R. Getz).
"An incredible resource. In my 13 years as an educator, it is rare to come across a graphic history that is so well researched and deeply engaging for students. This graphic history is a must read because it offers readers, particularly students, timeless lessons and hope for how to create a more inclusive and perfect union today."--Ben Williams, DC State Board Representative and DC Public Schools history teacher "The experiences of Americans during the Reconstruction era are richly drawn in this informative and colorful account."--New York Times Book Review "Engaging reading for all ages . . . . Recalling this earlier time of profound social division in America's history, Masur and Clarke's collaboration celebrates the men and women who battled the forces of white supremacy to gain their rightful place as citizen."--Kirkus Reviews
