Often eclipsed by the incredible drama of the Civil War is the equally incredible drama of Reconstruction. Perhaps because it ultimately failed, perhaps because Northerners and the federal government ultimately walked away from the challenge of facilitating the slaves' transition to freedom, this episode is often just a footnote in our study of the war. 

But as we emphasize in "So What," this was an huge moment in our history—four million people suddenly released from bondage, the social, economic, and political status of one-third of the South's entire population radically transformed. One of your first challenges will be helping your students understand the dimensions of this moment.