The document summarizes the Reconstruction era in the United States from 1865 to 1877 following the Civil War. It discusses the problems that arose over how to reunite the nation and replace slavery. While the Emancipation Proclamation freed slaves and allowed them to enlist in the military, President Johnson's reconstruction plans undermined their rights. Black codes and violence by groups like the KKK suppressed African Americans. It was not until the mid-20th century that the nation fully addressed the issues of Reconstruction. The document also profiles Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois and their differing philosophies on achieving racial equality and upliftment through education and activism.