Slavery and the Making of America

The history of American slavery from its beginnings in the British colonies to its end in the Southern states and the years of post-Civil War Reconstruction. Looks at slavery as an integral part of a developing nation, challenging the long held notion that slavery was exclusively a Southern enterprise. Simultaneously focuses on the remarkable stories of individual slaves, offering new perspectives on the slave experience and testifying to the active role that Africans and African Americans took in surviving their bondage and shaping their own lives.

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Created By	William Grant
Status	Ended
Original Name	Slavery and the Making of America
First Air Date	February 9, 2005
Last Air Date	February 16, 2005
Seasons	1
Episodes	4
Episode Runtime	55min
Language	English
Original Language	English
Production Countries	United States of America
Production Companies	Thirteen
Networks	PBS

S01E04

The Challenge of Freedoms

Civil War and Reconstruction. The war shifts from a struggle for union to a battle over slavery. Blacks, such as South Carolina slave and future congressman Robert Smalls, contribute to the war effort and experience gains and losses from Reconstruction. The 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments abolish slavery and guarantee black civil rights, and the Freedmen's Bureau offers aid to former slaves throughout the 1870s. But militant groups such as the Ku Klux Klan threaten the future of racial equality, and segregation laws begin appearing across the country. Slavery's eradication does not end black oppression.

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