<p>This paper traces the evolution of political outcomes in Civil War refugee camps, where roughly 600,000 enslaved African Americans achieved freedom. Refugee camps became sites of African American empowerment after the war, but these accomplishments were followed by a backlash that overturned the progressive outlook by the early 1900s. Despite the backlash, African Americans enjoyed persistently higher rates of literacy in counties home to refugee camps, fostering a sustained, selected outmigration of whites and enabling improved interracial relations. Today, progressive politics enjoy an advantage at these sites of former emancipation, and whites are key contributors to this progressive outlook. Overall, while progressive achievements may provoke backlash, they can also set in motion the very conditions that eventually erode resistance and foster renewed political progress.</p>