Carrie and Robert's dream comes true, but is Carrie strong enough to survive what comes next? Abby makes the choice to go to Kansas to fight for Woman Suffrage, and almost pays the ultimate price. Violence and hatred run rampant through the country as America tries to come to grips with 2,000,000 freed slaves. So many of the characters you have come to know and love face both challenges and joys in this turbulent time in history.

Carrie travels to Philadelphia to fulfill a promise, but is stunned by what she discovers and is thrown into a world she knows nothing about. Moses and Rose are moving forward in college, but will Moses make a different decision? How will Felicia handle the challenges? Jeremy and Marietta receive the surprise of their life, forcing them to make a decision they hoped they would not have to make. Matthew and Janie welcome a new child at the same time Matthew deals with great turmoil.

Carrie steps into a new season of love in her life but has to leave the plantation to fulfill her dream. Her heart is both happy and torn. Rose and Moses are thrilled to be home but are swept up once again in the new war raging in America. Susan takes a huge step into happiness, while Thomas and Abby create a miracle for Marcus. Jeremy and Marietta are forging through challenges to create a new life in Philadelphia. When everyone really just wants a simple, clear future, each person finds they have to make the best choices possible as they watch their Horizons Unfolding.

Carrie and her housemates battle cholera in Philadelphia. Her world is turned upside down when she discovers the truth of her heritage. Will it completely change her path? Robert watches his dreams fade before his eyes when he refuses to align himself with Southern beliefs after the war. Rose has to face down a new threat, and Moses is forced to step into the role he has avoided. Janie has agreed to marry Matthew, but can she actually move beyond her fears and become his wife?

America continues the struggle to become a country for everyone.... Carrie and Abby, hoping for a peaceful visit to the plantation find themselves pulled into a violent conflict in Richmond as struggle for control of the city boils over. Rose and Moses are happy on the plantation, enjoying a respite from all the violence, while Susan travels north to expand the plantation breeding operation. Matthew finds himself embroiled in another type of southern war as KKK violence spills into North Carolina. What he discovers will change things for Janie.