The Reconstruction Era was in some ways the first sustained civil rights movement in United States history. As the nation tried to wrestle with difficult questions about establishing peace and national unity after the end of the American Civil War, many political leaders believed that expanding civil rights through constitutional amendments and legislation was necessary to maintaining the Union. In this presentation, Park Ranger Nick Sacco (Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site) will examine various laws that helped redefine citizenship, political rights, and voting rights in the United States during the Reconstruction Era. The presentation will also examine legislative shortcomings during this period and provide an interpretation as to why Reconstruction was greatly damaged with the end of Ulysses S. Grant’s presidency in 1877.

Nick Sacco is a Park Ranger with the National Park Service at Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site and currently working a temporary position as the Director of Education at Gateway Arch National Park. He regularly gives tours of Ulysses S. Grant’s White Haven estate in St. Louis and designs education programs for people of all ages about Grant’s life. Nick had a journal article published with The Journal of the Civil War Era in 2019 about Grant’s relationship with slavery and regularly contributes to the journal’s online blog. He has worked for the National Park Service for seven years and holds a master’s degree in history from IUPUI.

The meeting will be at the at Royale Orleans, 2801 Telegraph Road. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Members watch your email to register for the meeting; members and guests may register at https://civilwarstlmo.org/. Members please recall that your dues for the 2021-2022 Campaign will be collected at the September meeting in addition to the cost of the meal – cash, checks, debit or credit cards accepted.

Join us for a Friendly & Fun Evening of Civil War History!

Doors open at 5:30
Meal served at 6:30
Presentation at 7:30

We meet at:

ROYALE ORLEANS BANQUET CENTER
2801 Telegraph Road
Mehlville (St Louis), MO 63125

Dinner and Presentation
Members . . . . . . . . . . . . .$20.00 (each)
Students (under 21). . . . . $7.00 (each)
Guests & Others . . . . . . . $25.00 (each)
Members who do not make an advance dinner reservation will be charged $25.00
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Presentation ONLY
Members/Students . . . . . $ 5.00 (each)
Guests & Others . . . . . . . $10.00 (each)

NOTE: We accept all major credit/debit cards, cash, and checks at our meetings.

Please note – there is a $14.00 per person charge for anyone who registers for dinner and does not show up.  No refunds unless we are notified by 5 p.m. on Sunday prior to the meeting.