Plans for Reconstruction after the Civil War (2024)

Plans for Reconstruction

As the Civil War came to a close, it was obvious that there would be difficulty in how Southern states rejoined the Union. Tensions were still high, many cities and infrastructure in the South were in ruin, theEmancipation Proclamationhad declared over 3.5 million enslaved people in theSouth “forever free,” and the question of a national identity hung in the air.

A plan for Reconstruction, the time period after the Civil War that was marked by a sense of rebuilding, was desperately needed.Three different proposals for bringing the Southern states back into the Union were considered: President Lincoln’s, Vice President Andrew Johnson’s, and the Radical Republican Plan.

President Lincoln began formulating a plan back in 1863, nearly two years before the Civil War ended. He first proposed his 10% Plan that year. This proposalstated that if 10% of the people in a Southern seceded state voted to re-enter the Union and accepted Emancipation, they could come back into the United States. He saw this as a loyalty oath, and was sure to promise that any Confederate soldier would receive a pardon. High Confederate officials and military leaders, however, would be excluded from this process.

The Wade-Davis Bill of 1864, written by Senator Benjamin Wade of Ohio and Representative Henry Winter Davis from Maryland was another plan for Reconstruction. As part of this proposal, at least 50% of the eligible voting population would have to take an oath of loyalty to the Union. Each state would also be required todraft a new Constitution abolishing slavery to be considered for readmittance, and the new state government would not be able to feature any Confederate officials in any seats.This bill passed both houses of Congress, but was pocket vetoed by President Lincoln and never took effect.

Lincoln’s Vice President, Andrew Johnson, had a somewhat different plan in mind. He became president after Lincoln was assassinated in April 1865, and chose to base his plan on his predecessor’s. He was also from Tennessee and naturally favored a plan more lenient on the South.

Plans for Reconstruction after the Civil War (2)

Johnson wanted a speedy restoration of the Union. He provided amnesty for ex-rebels, except those holding over $20,000 in property (over $360,000 in today's dollars). Confederate leaders and those with substantial property would have to apply for a Presidential pardon. Southern states would also have to uphold the 13th Amendment which abolished slavery and draw up new constitutions.

However, his plan wasconsiderably lenient on the South. Former Confederate leaders took lead roles across the South and passed racist Black Codesgoverning the conduct of African Americans. Some Northerners began to question if the Civil War had been fought for nothing.

Radical Republicans in Congress were furious with Johnson. He ignored their outcries andannounced that all former Confederate states had satisfied his requirements to rejoin the Union in 1866. Congress said, "not so fast" and passed the first of fourMilitary Reconstruction Acts in 1867 to raise the bar for bringing Southern states back into the Union. Their disagreements with President Johnson led to his impeachment in 1868, with the Senate falling one vote short in its vote to remove Johnson from office.

Plans for Reconstruction after the Civil War (2024)

FAQs

Plans for Reconstruction after the Civil War? ›

In December, President Lincoln proposed a reconstruction program that would allow Confederate states to establish new state governments after 10 percent of their male population took loyalty oaths and the states recognized the permanent freedom of formerly enslaved people.

What were the plans for Reconstruction after civil war? ›

In December, President Lincoln proposed a reconstruction program that would allow Confederate states to establish new state governments after 10 percent of their male population took loyalty oaths and the states recognized the permanent freedom of formerly enslaved people.

What were the 3 different plans for Reconstruction who proposed each? ›

A plan for Reconstruction, the time period after the Civil War that was marked by a sense of rebuilding, was desperately needed. Three different proposals for bringing the Southern states back into the Union were considered: President Lincoln's, Vice President Andrew Johnson's, and the Radical Republican Plan.

What were the key questions to answer during Reconstruction? ›

Guiding Questions
  • To what extent did Reconstruction forge a “more perfect union”?
  • Did Reconstruction extend or undermine democracy in the United States?
  • Why did Black Codes and Jim Crow exist?
  • How did local and regional differences affect the ways in which Reconstruction was implemented?

What were the major plans for Reconstruction? ›

The Ten-Percent Plan

The Ten Percent plan was a Reconstruction plan for the south put forward by Abraham Lincoln in 1863. The basics of the plan were that a state would be readmitted when 10 percent of its 1860 voting population had taken an oath of allegiance to the Union and accepted the end of slavery.

What were the 4 Reconstruction plans? ›

The Lincoln Reconstruction Plan. The Initial Congressional Plan. The Andrew Johnson Reconstruction Plan. The Radical Republican Reconstruction Plan.

What was the 10 plan for Reconstruction? ›

Lincoln's blueprint for Reconstruction included the Ten-Percent Plan,which specified that a southern state could be readmitted into the Union once 10 percent of its voters (from the voter rolls for the election of 1860) swore an oath of allegiance to the Union.

What do you think the 3 main goals of Reconstruction were? ›

Reconstruction encompassed three major initiatives: restoration of the Union, transformation of southern society, and enactment of progressive legislation favoring the rights of freed slaves.

What were the 3 goals of Reconstruction? ›

Three Reconstruction amendments were designed to end slavery, allow all Americans to coexist, and protect the rights of the newly freed slaves.

Which Reconstruction plan was most successful? ›

Answer and Explanation: The most successful reconstruction plan was the one proposed by President Lincoln. Named the Ten Percent Plan, the plan was successful because it provided a reasonable process for the Confederate states to rejoin the United States government quickly.

What were the two main goals of Reconstruction? ›

The Reconstruction implemented by Congress, which lasted from 1866 to 1877, was aimed at reorganizing the Southern states after the Civil War, providing the means for readmitting them into the Union, and defining the means by which whites and blacks could live together in a nonslave society.

What is a quick summary of the Reconstruction? ›

The Reconstruction era was the period after the American Civil War from 1865 to 1877, during which the United States grappled with the challenges of reintegrating into the Union the states that had seceded and determining the legal status of African Americans.

What was the main cause for the end of Reconstruction answers? ›

While many factors led to the end of Reconstruction, the official end is generally attributed to the Compromise of 1877. The compromise resulted from a long process that included political turmoil, continuing division over race, and economic difficulties.

Were the Reconstruction plans successful? ›

Reconstruction was a success in that it restored the United States as a unified nation: by 1877, all of the former Confederate states had drafted new constitutions, acknowledged the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments, and pledged their loyalty to the U.S. government.

Why was a plan for Reconstruction needed? ›

The purpose of the Reconstruction was to help the South become a part of the Union again. Federal troops occupied much of the South during the Reconstruction to insure that laws were followed and that another uprising did not occur. Many people wanted the South to be punished for trying to leave the Union.

Which of the 3 major Reconstruction plans was the best for the nation? ›

Lincoln's plan was the easiest, and the Radical Republican Plan was the hardest on the South.

How did the Reconstruction plans differ? ›

There were two different approaches to Reconstruction. Presidential Reconstruction was the approach that promoted more leniency towards the South regarding plans for readmission to the Union. Congressional Reconstruction blamed the South and wanted retribution for causing the Civil War.

What was the Reconstruction plan of 1867? ›

The Reconstruction Act of 1867 outlined the terms for readmission to representation of rebel states. The bill divided the former Confederate states, except for Tennessee, into five military districts.

What was the 1864 plan for Reconstruction? ›

Led by the Radical Republicans in the House and Senate, Congress passed the Wade-Davis bill on July 2, 1864—co-sponsored by Senator Benjamin Wade of Ohio and Representative Henry Davis of Maryland—to provide for the admission to representation of rebel states upon meeting certain conditions.

When was the Reconstruction plan? ›

At the end of May 1865, President Andrew Johnson announced his plans for Reconstruction, which reflected both his staunch Unionism and his firm belief in states' rights.

Why did the Reconstruction plan fail? ›

The combination of white intimidation, a significant economic depression in the South, and the Democratic Party winning control of the House of Representatives in 1874, resulted in Reconstruction beginning to fade away.

What were the failures of the Reconstruction plan? ›

The failure to stop violence and protect the political gains of Reconstruction was a policy failure: the U.S. government failed to coordinate and plan to suppress a nascent insurgency; failed to deploy enough troops or use the troops with consistency; failed to consider other options to secure the rights of Black ...

Which Reconstruction plan was easiest on the South? ›

Lincoln's Ten-Percent Plan was very easy on the South—an effort to get the South to surrender. President Lincoln seemed to favor self-Reconstruction by the states with little help from Washington.

What were 2 factors that led to the end of Reconstruction? ›

Some argue two decades. But there were specific reasons why Reconstruction came to an end and those had to do with violence, corruption, race, factionalism and the election of 1876.

How and why did Reconstruction end? ›

Reconstruction ended with the contested Presidential election of 1876, which put Republican Rutherford B. Hayes in office in exchange for the withdrawal of federal troops from the South. Republicans and Democrats responded to the economic declines by shifting attention from Reconstruction to economic recovery.

Why was Reconstruction a turning point in American history? ›

Reconstruction marked a turning point in the nation's history. With the ratification of the 14th and 15th Amendments, the country could begin to heal from the Civil War and promote the suffrage of formerly enslaved men.

What did Reconstruction governments accomplish? ›

Serving an expanded citizenry and embracing a new definition of public responsibility, Reconstruction governments established the South's first state-funded public school systems, adopted measures designed to strengthen the bargaining power of plantation laborers, made taxation more equitable, and outlawed racial ...

What happened after Reconstruction ended? ›

After the end of Reconstruction, racial segregation laws were enacted. These laws became popularly known as Jim Crow laws. They remained in force from the end of Reconstruction in 1877 until 1965. The laws mandated racial segregation as policy in all public facilities in the southern states.

Why was Reconstruction a success essay? ›

After the Civil War, the reconstruction process started out as a failure, but over the years turned into a huge success because of how African Americans were able to live normal lives. Overall, Reconstruction was a success because freedom and growth of equality for African Americans was increased greatly.

Who has the most lenient plan for Reconstruction? ›

Johnson's Reconstruction Plan

Johnson's plan incorporated the Ten Percent elements with an oath to the union but was far more lenient in its approach regarding pardons to former Confederates.

In what way was Reconstruction policy a success? ›

One major achievement of the Reconstruction era was the passage and ratification of the Reconstruction Amendments. The 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to the US Constitution abolished slavery, granted citizenship rights, and allowed Black men the right to vote.

Was Reconstruction positive or negative? ›

White Southerners also benefited from the Reconstruction as manufacturing, transportation, land ownership, and education expanded. On the negative side, however, Reconstruction led to great resentment and even violence among Southerners.

What were Lincoln's 3 plans for Reconstruction? ›

The three points of Lincoln's reconstruction plan were to ensure 10 percent of the citizens of former Confederate states swore an oath to the union, to then work to establish new state constitutions, and to provide opportunities for former Confederate soldiers and sympathizers to be granted full pardons for their ...

What were the differences between Lincoln and Johnson's plans for Reconstruction? ›

The main difference between Lincoln's plans for reconstruction and Johnson's was in regard to the rights of freedmen following the conclusion of the Civil War. While Lincoln wanted to ensure rights, such as voting, for the formerly enslaved, Johnson's plan did not have these same requirements.

What were the 3 policies Radical Republicans proposed for Reconstruction? ›

The three policies that the Radical Republicans proposed for Reconstruction were land redistribution and $100 to build a new house, jobs, and education. Given what was going on in the country at the time, why might Democrats have opposed these plans?

What was Lincoln's first plan for Reconstruction? ›

On December 8, 1863, President Lincoln introduced his first plan for Reconstruction; the Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction. This announcement offered a full pardon to those individuals that took an oath of loyalty and accepted the abolition of slavery.

What was Lincoln's main plan? ›

' Lincoln's plan for Reconstruction became known as the Ten Percent Plan, which he hoped would be fair and attainable for Southern states. The plan required that former Confederates take an oath pledging allegiance to the Union and accepting the end of slavery.

What did Lincoln's and Johnson's Reconstruction plans have in common? ›

Both Lincoln and Johnson provided for a generous amnesty to allow Southerners to retain their property and reacquire their political rights. Believed the South should be punished for starting the war and hoped to protect the rights of Freedmen (former slaves).

What was Johnson's Reconstruction plan? ›

The Confederate states would be required to uphold the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery; swear loyalty to the Union; and pay off their war debt. Then they could re-write their state constitutions, hold elections, and begin sending representatives to Washington.

What is the difference between Johnson's plan for Reconstruction and the congressional plan? ›

There were two different approaches to Reconstruction. Presidential Reconstruction was the approach that promoted more leniency towards the South regarding plans for readmission to the Union. Congressional Reconstruction blamed the South and wanted retribution for causing the Civil War.

What was the key difference between the Lincoln and Johnson plans for Reconstruction quizlet? ›

What was the key difference between the Lincoln and Johnson plans for Reconstruction? Unlike Lincoln's plan, Johnson's plan barred from political participation any ex-Confederate with taxable property worth $20,000 or more. How did the Thirteenth Amendment change the Constitution? It abolished slavery.

What were radical Reconstruction plans? ›

The Radical Republicans' reconstruction offered all kinds of new opportunities to African-American people, including the vote (for males), property ownership, education, legal rights, and even the possibility of holding political office. By the beginning of 1868, about 700,000 African Americans were registered voters.

What were the two 2 major goals of Radical Republicans during Reconstruction? ›

The Radical Republicans believed blacks were entitled to the same political rights and opportunities as whites. They also believed that the Confederate leaders should be punished for their roles in the Civil War.

What was 5 the radical Republican plan for Reconstruction meant to do? ›

During Radical Reconstruction, the Radical Republicans took the debates surrounding Reconstruction-era policies to a new level in the United States Congress. Radical Republicans were interested in creating a multi-racial society that fully outlawed slavery and provided basic civil rights to the formerly enslaved.

What were three major changes that took place in the United States during Reconstruction? ›

During the period, Congress passed three constitutional amendments that permanently abolished slavery, defined birthright citizenship and guaranteed due process and equal protection under the law, and granted all males the ability to vote by prohibiting voter discrimination based on race, color, or previous condition ...

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