FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 1, 2018
Contact: 803-896-6196 | info@scdah.sc.gov
EXHIBIT ON RECONSTRUCTION IN SOUTH CAROLINA ON VIEW AT ARCHIVES & HISTORY CENTER
Columbia, S.C. – The South Carolina Department of Archives and History and the South Carolina Archives & History Foundation announce the recent opening of their annual exhibit at the South Carolina Archives & History Center. In commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the ratification of the state Constitution of 1868, South Carolina’s Reconstruction: Restoration, Revolution, Reaction examines how Reconstruction proceeded in one state, while also offering a window into the larger political, social, and economic issues that defined the period.
Reconstruction was a period of reintegration of the Southern States into the Union following the Civil War. Among the most notable events were passage of the 13th and 14th Amendments ending slavery and providing for birthright citizenship. Using three South Carolina state constitutions drafted in 1865, 1868, and 1895 as its centerpiece, the exhibit provides a chronological explanation of Reconstruction. Within its framework, the exhibit explores the theme of “freedom” as a contested concept during the period.
South Carolina’s Reconstruction: Restoration, Revolution, Reaction was made possible by a major grant from the South Carolina Humanities. The exhibit will be on view in the J. Verne Smith Gallery at the South Carolina Archives & History Center through December 31st. The exhibit is free and open to the public.
The South Carolina Archives & History Center is located at 8301 Parklane Road in Columbia and is open Monday through Saturday from 8:30AM to 5:00PM. For questions regarding the exhibit, please call 803-896-6196.
About the South Carolina Department of Archives and History
The South Carolina Department of Archives and History is an independent state agency whose mission is to preserve and promote the documentary and cultural heritage of the Palmetto State. The department houses one of the most comprehensive state archival collections in the nation, spanning more than 325 years of South Carolina history.
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