Reddit reviews At the Hands of Persons Unknown: The Lynching of Black America (Modern Library)

I'm in the middle of reading At The Hands of Persons Unknown, which covers some of what you mention above. It's the kind of book you have to put down so you can just sob for a few hours at all of the horror before you can keep reading further. And....yes. Just fuck everything, everything ever ever ever all of it, fuck it all.

I'd like to caution you that "reconstruction caused this mess in the first place" is a bit of a weird way to frame such a complicated political period.

If you want to get a good understanding of the period here are some good books you can read that are either on the period or have some material that overlaps with it.

Reconstruction: America's Unfinished Revolution by Eric Foner. I've linked you the abridged version, but there is a 600p version if you're really interested.

Nothing But Freedom by Eric Foner.

Capitol Men by Philip Dray

Deep Souths: Delta, Piedmont and Sea Island Society by J William Harris

A Nation Under Our Feet by Steven Hahn

At the Hands of Persons Unknown by Phillip Dray

Black Reconstruction in America W. E. B Du Bois