Aftermath

Reconstruction (1865-1877) – period during which the United States began to rebuild after the Civil War and included the process by which the federal government readmitted former Confederate states.

South lay in ruins (destroyed)

Nearly 4 million freedman (freed slaves) needed food, clothing, & jobs

President Lincoln planned for Reconstruction, the rebuilding of the South

Lincoln’s Ten-Percent Plan –

-argued that the southern states had never left the Union because secession was illegal– one nation indivisible

-when 10% of voters pledged allegiance to the U.S. – state could be readmitted to U.S and create a new government.

-very lenient – goal was to readmit southern states as quick as possible, not to punish the South

-States had to abolish slavery to return.

Many in Congress didn’t like Lincoln’s plan & wanted a stricter form of Reconstruction

-A bill proposed for the Reconstruction of the South written by two Radical Republicans.

-In contrast to President Abraham Lincoln's more lenient Ten Percent Plan, the bill made re-admittance to the Union for former Confederate states contingent on a majority in each Southern state to take the Ironclad oath to the effect they had never in the past supported the Confederacy. 

Ironclad oath-  By requiring officials and voters to swear they had never supported the Confederacy, it limited the political activity of ex-Confederate soldiers and supporters. 

Lincoln blocked this bill with a pocket veto.

-These acts divided the south into five military districts.

-Each district was placed under military leadership and new elections were held with voting only allowed by Congress' approved voters, which were mostly former slaves.

-Each state was also required to ratify the 13th and 14th Amendments after drafting new state constitutions.

– also very lenient toward the South

-In each southern state, a majority of voters must swear loyalty to the U.S.

-Each state must approve the 13th Amendment

Then each state could rejoin the Union

-Southern States met Johnson’s demands

Republicans in Congress outraged because African Americans were not allowed to vote & former Confederate Leaders were elected to Congress

-Freedman’s Bureau was created by Congress and established March 1865

It gave food, clothing, & other kinds of help to the freedman.

-Sharecropping – many African-Americans rented land from plantation owners in return for a share or percentage of the total crop produced

-After the war, most southern states quickly ratified the 13th Amendment.

-Then passed Black Codes, which limited the rights of African Americans.

-Radical Republicans in Congress decide to take over Reconstruction

-They wanted to break the power of the southern planters and to make sure African Americans had the right to vote.

14th Amendment, 1868 – All people born in the U.S. are citizens. No state may take away rights of citizens.

15th Amendment, 1870 – The right to vote cannot be denied to citizens because of their race or color or because they were once enslaved.

Reconstruction Act – Southern states had to ratify the 14th Amendment, African American men must be allowed to vote,…

Johnson vetoed these acts & Congress overrode his veto; Congress eventually tried to impeach him