ALPLM Exhibit Examines Reconstruction

The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum’s temporary exhibit “The Second American Revolution” remains on display after opening June 5 as part of the institution’s commemoration of America’s 250th birthday.

The exhibit examines the rise and collapse of Reconstruction, the period after the Civil War when the United States abolished slavery and expanded citizenship and voting rights to African Americans. It also documents how many of those gains were later dismantled through violence, political compromise and court decisions that helped pave the way for segregation and Jim Crow laws.

The exhibit features a collection of artifacts connected to both the Civil War and Reconstruction, including the pen Abraham Lincoln used to sign the Emancipation Proclamation, a copy of the constitutional amendment ending slavery, Ku Klux Klan paraphernalia and a chair from Ford’s Theatre, where Lincoln was assassinated.

In addition to historical objects, the exhibit includes multimedia displays and interactive elements. Those include short films about refugee camps created for formerly enslaved people during the Civil War, biographies of women involved in the abolition movement, a film explaining the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments, and a timeline tracing the rollback of Reconstruction-era policies and protections.

Christina Shutt, executive director of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, said the exhibit focuses on how the country’s attempt to rebuild after the Civil War ultimately failed to secure lasting equality for African Americans.

“After the Civil War and Abraham Lincoln’s tragic death, America had a chance to begin again on a more equal footing for all citizens. But this second American Revolution ultimately failed. The promises of new rights and new opportunities for African Americans were shattered,” Shutt said when the exhibit opened in June.

The exhibit was curated by historian Manisha Sinha, author of “The Rise and Fall of the Second American Republic: Reconstruction, 1860-1920” and “The Slave’s Cause: A History of Abolition.” Sinha, who serves as the James L. and Shirley A. Draper Chair in American History at the University of Connecticut, also spoke during a June 4 preview event for museum members and signed copies of her books afterward.

Sinha said the exhibit connects the failures of Reconstruction to ongoing debates surrounding democracy and civil rights in the United States.

“The betrayal of Reconstruction haunts American democracy. The nation still lives with the competing legacies of democracy and authoritarianism formed by the rise and fall of the Second American Republic,” Sinha said.

“The Second American Revolution” will remain on display through Jan. 17, with admission included as part of regular museum entry.

The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum said the exhibit aligns with its broader mission of encouraging civic engagement through Illinois history and preserving the legacy of Abraham Lincoln through its collection of roughly 13 million historical items spanning multiple eras of state history.