We tend to think of big wars as turning points in the history of nations. Battles and campaigns are picked apart at length, and how and why one side wins or loses is subject of much discussion. What comes after these wars, however, is often overlooked. The Civil War is a famous turning point in American history, as its outcome determined whether the nation would exist as a whole or remain split in two, yet the period that followed the surrender of the South was just as important in determining how our society looks and operates. "Reconstruction" was meant not only to bring the Confederacy back into the Union but to remake its society in a more fair, more equal manner. The failures Reconstruction would instead ensure the continued existence of system based entirely on white supremacy, the effects of which continue to be felt to this day.