Reconstruction Dbq

Presidential reconstruction, alongside Lincoln and Johnson had a political goal of re-entering the south into the Union. Politically, the south needed to swear loyalty oaths to the Union before being allowed to participate and hold any offices. Johnson’s plan specifically did not offer a role to blacks in the political world. Socially, those in the north did not want to see these southerners rejoin so quickly with ease, and made sure others knew. The plan was to rejoin the south to the Union, regardless of their crimes. Economically, they wanted to see the Union together again to repair the country and thrive as a whole. Congressional reconstruction had different goals. First off, politically, those who supported congressional or radical reconstruction believed that blacks should have just as many rights politically and such as those who were white. Socially, they wanted to punish the south for the things they had done as a Confederacy and they also wanted to help and protect the African Americans. Economically, they did not approve of Lincoln’s plan, finding it too lenient and therefore taking action to benefit them and destruct the

Congress passes the Reconstruction Act of 1867, which divided the South into districts and required Southern states to approve the 14th Amendment to grant blacks citizenship, before rejoining the Union. Later, congress gives African Americans the right to vote by ratifying the 15th Amendment. The Reconstruction established the South’s first state-funded public school systems, created a just taxation legislation, and passed laws against discrimination and economic development programs. The approach of Congress was different than Johnson’s plan, because they worked to improve the lives of African Americans by passing laws in their favor, and expanding their rights. Congress did not care what the South wanted, and expected the South to abide by their rules. On the other hand, Johnson wanted to preserve the nation, and did not want to do anything to anger the South. Moreover, he was a strong believer in states rights, and the idea that the federal government had no right to enforce restrictive laws on the entire country.

The Reconstruction Era in the United States was a time from 1865-1877 when the government made the attempt to revitalize the South after the Civil War. This movement was begun by President Abraham Lincoln and continued after his assassination by his successor, Andrew Johnson. The focus of this era was on an economic, political, and social level in the South. Numerous bills and acts were passed throughout the years to assist in strengthening and enforcing rules that would essentially turn back the clock for the South. Although, at the time, this was thought to be an excellent way to reform the nation, many disagree and believe it was a failure until World War II and after President Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal.

After President Lincoln’s assassination his Vice President Andrew Johnson became the new President and began his own version of reconstruction. Although it was common knowledge at the time President Johnson did not like southern planter elites, he was surprisingly lenient towards them. He even blocked radicals in Congress attempts to pass punitive legislation on the Confederate states (ushistory.org, 2008).

During Reconstruction there were massive changes in America’s culture, economy, and politics. Reconstruction for Lincoln was supposed to be a time for union and forgiveness. Who knows what would've happened if Lincoln could of cared out his plans, but Andrew Johnson took over and his plan for Reconstruction was very different. He believed the South had no right to succeed to begin with. He believed that the blacks should have no part in Reconstruction because today he's known as a racist. Andrew Johnson made sure to establish his all white government which to me looks like he's just copying the all white confederate government like before.

Instead he believed in a strict construction of the Constitution in which the states’ rights were more important than the federal government having more control, and therefore this did not include the rights of secession. Likewise, when Congress convened again in the year 1866, Johnson vetoed the legislation that was sent up to help former slaves be treated equally. Unfortunately for Johnson the Radical Republicans were able to obtain enough votes, and pass the legislation over his veto; which is also the first time that Congress was able to override a President on an important bill. This bill that Johnson had vetoed was the Civil Rights Act of 1866, which established freed slaves and blacks as American citizens, and forbade discrimination against

The reconstruction after the Civil War had just begun. Andrew Johnson took over and created a Reconstruction Plan. Johnson's plan included almost total pardon for ex-Confederates, restoration for states,approving new southern governments and preserving Black Codes. The congress, which was greatly dominated by republicans, opposed Andrew Johnson's plan for reconstruction.

States could then be readmitted once 10% of voters had sworn allegiance to the Union and that state had declared to end slavery. This plan was short term in result to Lincoln's assassination. Johnson had tried to follow through with the plan, but it did not work out. Another plan was made by the Radical Republicans who wanted to punish the southerners. They believed that the main goal of Reconstruction should be a total restructuring of society to guarantee blacks true equality.  The bill, said that anyone who voluntarily fought for the Confederacy could not vote. States could be readmitted once 50% of all voters sworn allegiance to the Union and the state had declared to end slavery. After Rebuilding the Nation with short term plans, the State's continued  battling over the Reconstruction.

After the American Civil War in which attempts were made to solve the political, social, and economic factors arising from the readmission to the Union of the Confederate States that had seceded at or before the outbreak of war. President Abraham Lincoln planned to readmit states with a criterion in which 10% of the voters had pledged loyalty to the Union. This lenient approach was opposed by the Radical Republicans, who favored the measures passed in the Wade-Davis Bill. Andrew Johnson became the President after Lincoln’s assassination in 1865. He wanted to keep it simple and easy to restore the local rule. So, he took over and continued with the moderate policies of Lincoln, but due to the enactment in the South of the black codes and the demand for stricter legislation in the North resulted in victories of Radical Republicans

Andrew Johnson, Abraham Lincoln’s successor, fought with Congress over Reconstruction policies. Johnson imagined a lenient and rapid “restoration” of the South to the Union rather than the fundamental “reconstruction” that Republican congressmen favored (Norton, 14 intro). The president and Republican congressional leadership disagreed and by the time it was all over, Congress impeached the president, enfranchised freedmen, and gave them a role in reconstructing the South (Norton, 14 intro). The nation then also adopted the 14th and 15th Amendments ensuring equal protection of citizenship, law, and universal manhood suffrage.

Before it even began the Reconstruction was a political battle and President Johnson didn’t add well to the mix of the battle. “A lonely, stubborn man, he was intolerant of criticism and unable to compromise” (Foner, p. 579). Many people believed he was unfit for the political world and he wasn’t ready to be our president. He was a very racist man and he believed that African Americans played absolutely no part in the Reconstruction and believed they had no rights what so ever. The beginning of the Presidential Reconstruction (1865 – 1867) “Johnson offered a pardon (which restored political and property rights, except for slaves) to nearly all white southerners who took an oath of allegiance to the Union” (Foner, p. 580). Many people thought

Abraham Lincoln then made it clear that there needed to be preliminary plans for a postwar reconstruction. Union armies capturing larger sections of the South, some state ready to have governments built for the slaves. The plan was considering costs of war, the proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction along with it Lincoln seized the initiative for the Reconstruction from Congress. A few Radical Republicans assumed the plan was way too easy, for that matter others accepted it due to the President's leadership and prestige. The assassination of Lincoln on the date of April 1865m lead to disagreements over the postwar reconstruction policy, then it led to a heated battle between the new President Andrew Johnson and

After the death of President Lincoln’s assassination, President Johnson abled himself to take on the responsibility of Reconstruction a possibility. America: A Narrative History states: “Andrew Johnson supported Lincoln’s policies, while a peace wing of the party preferred an end to the fighting, even if that meant risking the Union.” (America, 682) He was to take the concepts of reconstruction from Lincoln but added a more

Presidential Reconstruction under Johnson readmitted the southern states using Lincoln’s Ten-Percent Plan and granted all southerners full pardons, including thousands of wealthy planters and former Confederate officials. Johnson also ordered the Freedmen’s Bureau to return all confiscated lands to their original owners. While Congress was in recess, Johnson approved new state constitutions for secessionist states and declared Reconstruction complete in December 1865. In 1866 the Civil Rights Act of 1866 was passed which granted newly emancipated blacks the right to sue, the right to serve on juries, and several other legal

Reconstruction in the South took place between the years 1865-1877, just after the Civil War, however many challenges were encountered which included opposition from the whites and Democrats who viewed reconstruction was going against their interests of owning and utilizing slaves. The Republican party began to split and thus, reconstruction received little support. Reconstruction policies started from the liberation of slaves to presidential plans before changing to radical and then military rebuilding. The first reconstruction policy changed after Abraham Lincoln’s assassination with President Johnson’s restoration plan calling for the ratification of the 13th amendment to end slavery. President Johnson turned to radical reconciliation