Book Review: Freedom was in Sight: A Graphic History of Reconstruction in the Washington D.C., Region

Freedom was in Sight: A Graphic History of Reconstruction in the Washington D.C., Region. By Kate Masur and Liz Clarke. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 2024. Softcover, 192 pp. $24.00.

Reviewed by Tim Talbott

Things change. That is not exactly a surprising revelation to most people. However, where the friction occurs, and what engenders considerable debate, is whether a specific change is for the better or worse. That often hinges on one’s personal perspective. Traditionalists often bemoan change. For them change creates unfamiliarity and discomfort. Others may view change as an opportunity and a means of advancement. For example, history enthusiasts have traditionally consumed their subject matter via scholarly books and articles and popular magazines. However, as technology, tastes, and trends change, so has how people engage with the past.

The rise of the internet and subsequently the emergence of blogs (like this one) changed some people’s interactions with history. Similarly, podcasts have also become an extremely popular medium to absorb information about the past. Like it or not, technology and personal devices have made Americans, young and old, an increasingly visual-learning population. There may be studies that show this as well, but personal anecdotal evidence leans toward the general population being less likely to tackle a 300 page book on a historical subject than once upon a time. If such is true, what gateways are available to get the general public to become interested in history and thus learn important lessons and relevant information about the past?

A rather new approach to scholarly Civil War history is via graphic histories. Once believed only of interest to young readers, new graphic histories are emerging that are grounded in rigorous research and informed and insightful interpretation, but also add a visual element usually not found in traditional histories. Boldly trailblazing on this front as far as Civil War era subjects are concerned is Kate Masur and Liz Clarke’s Freedom was in Sight: A Graphic History of Reconstruction in the Washington D.C., Region.

After providing a contextual introduction, Freedom was in Sight moves through six sight-catching and themed chapters: Emancipation, Education, Politics, Community, Reaction, and Endings and Beginnings. Emma V. Brown, who was the first African American teacher in Washington D.C.’s public schools, serves as the narrator and introduces readers to both well-known and obscure historical figures who played prominent roles in Maryland, northern Virginia, and D.C. Reconstruction events.

Reconstruction historian Masur and illustrator Clarke blend their talents together to tell these stories of change and challenge in the wake of the Civil War. Using primary source accounts to voice the storyboards—many of which are included in a section following the six chapters—readers hear multiple perspectives and vividly see both opposition and alliances form as for a brief time democracy expanded. In addition to the primary source accounts, a brief yet informative overview of Reconstruction is geared toward readers who are perhaps not as knowledge about this period in American history. Following the overview is an accompanying timeline of events, covering national as well as local happenings from 1861-1906. Lastly, but perhaps most importantly a “Further Reading” section is broken down chapter by chapter and gives readers the sources for the information used in the chapters in bibliographic essay-style. In doing so, one may hope that curious graphic histories learners will explore these works to learn even more, especially on those specific subjects that interest them most.

With Freedom was in Sight: A Graphic History of Reconstruction in the Washington D.C., Region, new and important paths are being blazed that will hopefully bear fruit by creating a wider and more informed citizenry. Visual history learners once had only video documentaries as their media of choice, but with graphic histories like this one—and hopefully more to come—students of this era can now combine visual learning preferences with text, all founded on sound scholarship. Truly a win-win-win.