"The defeat of the Confederacy and the adoption of the Thirteenth Amendment in 1865 brought about the final destruction of slavery in the United States. Americans were confronted for the first time with the possibility of creating a republic dedicated to the principle of racial equality. What followed over the next twelve years was one of the most complex, inspiring, and ultimately tragic eras in American history. Reconstruction: Voices From America's First Great Struggle For Racial Equality brings this tumultuous and fateful period to dramatic and violent life through the vivid testimony of more than sixty participants and observers. Here is a vitally important book for anyone interested in this crucial period and its inescapable relevance for today." -- Book jacket.