Introduction This paper is aimed at showing the understanding and application of American history by bringing out historical concepts that played a major role in shaping America as it is known to day from 1865-2011. This paper will look into some of the social, cultural, economic, literary, political, and religious challenges that brought about the changes that have occurred in American History over this period. The historical progression of African Americans during this period in America is a keystone historical event that greatly impacted the United States, in all areas socially, culturally, economically, literary, politically, and religiously. The proclamation for emancipation in 1865 by Abraham Lincoln was a stepping stone for African Americans to rise up and fight for their rights. This also set in motion different aspects that shaped America during the period between 1865- 1976. This paper will look at American history through the years and the study of its history has been grouped into five areas: 1865-1876 (post-civil war), widely known as the reconstruction era (implemented by congress with an aim at restructuring the southern states by outlining the means by which whites and blacks could live together in a non-slave society; 1877-1920 (post-reconstruction era), characterized by vengeance against African Americans by the southerners as a result of the reconstruction era; 1921-1945 (Harlem Renaissance period), emergence of strong civil rights; 1946-1976 (post world); and finally 1976-Present. This paper is aimed at describing the historical progression of African Americans since the end of the civil war up to the present period. African Americans have experienced a lot of changes in terms of political, economic, religious, literary, and socially, all this influenced by a number of prominent figures. Historical Progression of African Americans Unit One (1865-1876) In unit one, the life for African Americans was one characterized by oppression inequity and ironically, with triumph. This covers the years 1865-1876 and is filled by a huge sadness over the distant memories of homelands left behind. Life was not that easy for them, as they were slaves and theirs was not the classic history of earlier immigrants who embraced and got integrated into the American lifestyle. Their sweat, tears and blood is what built America. These actions are a contradiction from the values and principles (equality and freedom) that the founded the United States of America (Weiner & Knopf, 2004). Samuel Adams in his book, A Dream Deferred: African Americans from 1865, clearly brought out the situation at that time and what Americans went through. Sundquist (1995) quotes, “If men, through fear, fraud, or mistake, should in terms renounce or give up any natural right, the eternal law of reason and the grand end of society would absolutely vacate such renunciation. The right to freedom being the gift of Almighty God, it is not in the power of man to alienate this gift and voluntarily become a slave.” One Social/cultural issue Americans faced was slavery, which was first witnessed at around 1619 when the first African slaves were taken to Jamestown, Virginia to work as servants. This was a major cultural and social iss