Two Collegiate Programs Join the Reconstruction Era National Historic Network

BEAUFORT, S.C. - The National Park Service announces the inclusion of two institutes of higher learning to the Reconstruction Era National Historic Network. This national network connects sites across the country who provide education, interpretation and research related to the period of Reconstruction. The Reconstruction era, lasting from 1861 to 1900, includes stories of freedom, education and self-determination.

The new members added to the network this quarter include:

• The Institute for the Study of the Reconstruction Era at USC Beaufort in Beaufort, S.C., is currently the only research institute focusing solely on the Reconstruction era attached to an organization of higher learning in the nation. The Institute promotes educational initiatives, facilitates scholarly research and presents public events that focus on the social, economic, cultural and political history of the Reconstruction era in the United States and the Lowcountry.
• Selma University in Selma, Ala. was established in the 1870s as an institute of higher education for formerly enslaved people. Initially established to train ministers, it eventually grew to include a high school, a teacher's college and welcomed women as both students and educators. Still an active HBCU, Selma University was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2023.

The John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act, signed into law on March 12, 2019, outlined the creation of the Reconstruction Era National Historic Network. This network, managed by Reconstruction Era National Historical Park, includes over 100 sites and programs that are affiliated with the Reconstruction era, but not necessarily managed by the NPS. This network is nationwide and works to provide opportunities for visitors to connect to the stories of Reconstruction. For more information about the Reconstruction Era National Historic Network, visit https://www.nps.gov/subjects/reconstruction/network.htm.

For more information about Reconstruction Era National Historical Park, visit www.nps.gov/reer or follow on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ReconstructionNPS.