Institute for the Study of the Reconstruction Era (ISRE)


ISRE Logo

USCB Historic Beaufort Building

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

*** Coming later this Fall - dates for our spring symposium and other exciting events from the Institute for the Study of the Reconstruction Era. Stay tuned!

Summer 2023

Conducting Oral History Interviews

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 Gives Keynote

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 Partners with South Carolina Council Group Walking Outdoors

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.

Spring 2023ISRE Breathing Democracy Schedule - 8:15am - 9:00am      Registration  9:00am - 9:10am      Welcome by Al Panu      USCB Chancellor  9:10am - 9:20am      Beaufort McCausland Grant Project      Middle and High School Students' Video Presentation  9:25am - 9:50am      "Prequel to Glory: 1st South Carolina Volunteers of African Descent"      Chris Allen and Rich Condon, Reconstruction Era National Historical Park  9:55am - 10:20am      "Researching the 1st South: Pension Records, Land Deeds, and the GAR"      Jules Duterte, Grace Farish, Kolby Minckler, Samantha Mischke      USCB Chair, James Shinn, Assistant Professor, Hisory, USCB  10:20am - 10:40am      Doing "Good Brave Work": Harriett Tubman's Service in Beaufort      Rev. Kenneth Hodges - Senior Pastor, Tabernacle Baptist Church  10:40am - 10:55am      Break  10:55am - 11:35am      "Researching the 1st South: Maps, Education, Muster Rolls and Colors"      Melissa DeVelvis, Jennifer Marler, Elizabeth Laney, and Chelsea Johnson  11:35am - 11:50am      Reconstruction Era National Historical Park Overview      Christopher Barr and Nathan Betcher, Reconstruction Era National Historical Park  11:50am - 12:00pm      McCausland Gift Overview by Dean Joel H. Samuels      USC College Arts and Sciences  Lunch on Your Own  1:00pm - 1:20pm      "The Original Panther: Prince Rivers and the Lost City of Hamburg"      Stephen Berry, Gregory Professor of the Civil War Era, University of Georgia  1:25pm - 2:00pm      "Researching the 1st South: Aligning History with South Carolina Social Studies Standards"      Colin Welsh, Logan Rogers, Claire Ouzts, Emory Farrand, Bailey Pope  2:05pm - 2:25pm      "Red Pantaloons: The 1st South Carolina and the Zouave Black Atlantic"      Tom Brown, Professor of History, USC  2:25pm - 2:50pm      "Researching the 1st South: Diaries, Letters, Medical Records, and Photos"      Benjamin Goff, Eboni Belton, Chelsea Johnson, Zachary Poole, USC  Closing Remarks      Valinda W. Littlefield      Associate Professor, History, USC Columbia      Interim Director, Institute for the Study of the Reconstruction Era, USC Beaufort

 

Contact Us

Valinda W. Littlefield              

Interim Director of the USCB Institute for the Study of the Reconstruction Era
Associate Professor, History

1106 Carteret Street
Beaufort, SC 29902
Office: 843-521-3115
Valinda W. Littlefield