Institute for the Study of the Reconstruction Era (ISRE)

The purpose of the Institute for the Study of the Reconstruction Era (ISRE) is to fulfill the mission of the University of South Carolina Beaufort through programs that grow out of the extraordinary history of the post-Civil War Reconstruction Era, especially the fundamental role played by Beaufort and the South Carolina Lowcountry in that story.

The ISRE develops and presents programs that:

• Enrich course offerings at USCB

• Help K-12 teachers gain fluency in historiography and pedagogy related to Reconstruction

• Support the work of community organizations

The Institute also 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 region.

LEARN MORE About the Reconstruction Era

 

Upcoming and Recent Events

Spring 2025

ISRE's 2025 Spring Symposium
Breathing Democracy Into Spaces

April 25 & 26, 2025 at USC Beaufort's Center for the Arts

Women, in various roles, are key figures in the history of the 1st South Carolina Volunteers of African Descent (33rd US Colored Troops), the first regiment of Black Soldiers deployed in a combat role during the Civil War. The 2025 symposium will celebrate the many women associated with the 1st South Carolina VAD as well as the impact made by women throughout South Carolina during the Reconstruction Era. 

Registration info coming February 2025.

Spring 2024

Fall 2023

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Summer 2023

Ronni Wilson, Asst. Director for Communication, USC Visitor Center, while working for the Institute for the Study of the Reconstruction Era (ISRE), conducts oral history interviews with graduates of Rosenwald School, Lincolnville Elementary in Lincolnville, SC during a community celebration on July 01, 2023. Lincolnville, SC is an historic black community formed during Reconstruction near Summerville, SC. This program was conducted in conjunction with the Lincolnville Historical & Preservation Society.

 

Dr. Valinda Littlefield, Interim Director of the Institute for the Study of the Reconstruction Era (ISRE), gives the Keynote Address during "Recovering Reconstruction: A Community Workshop in Augusta, GA" on July 08, 2023.

 

ISRE partnered with South Carolina Council for African American Studies to host an African American historic sites professional learning opportunity for South Carolina teachers. In June, 18 elementary, middle and high school teachers from public schools across South Carolina explored Beaufort's impactful history in a week-long immersive learning experience focusing on the period from 1861-1900. It included interactive lectures, site tours, and lesson plan strategies that the teachers took home to their students.

 

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