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Reconstruction
1863-1877
Reconstruction Plan #1
Lincoln’s Plan
or the 10% plan.
Philosophy: Lincoln wanted Reconstruction to be easy, quick, and as painless as possible.
“With malice toward none, with charity for all!”
1. Dec. 8, 1863 – Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction (Restoration or
Reconstruction?)
A. Assumption: The South had never seceded (or succeeded in leaving the Union.) 
They had never left the “family circle.”
B. Assumption: As commander and Chief of our military during war  Lincoln assumed
as his power the right to restore the South to the family circle.
How do Southerners regain their citizenship?
1. Full pardon to all Southerners who would take an oath of Allegiance to the Union.
2. They had to respect all federal laws concerning slavery.
Exceptions: What should be done with the confederate military and civil officials?
1. Civil and military leaders who had resigned offices with the Federal Government to take
civil or military offices with the confederacy.
* No Pardon/No Citizenship
*They could not regain the right to vote
*They could not regain the right to hold office
How could the Southern States Re-enter the Union?
1. Each Southern State had to draw up a new state constitution, when they met the criteria:
a. 10% of 1860 Voters took the Oath
b. Each of the persons taking the oath had to have been a qualified Voter in 1860.
2. Reapply for Statehood
3. Revoke Secession
4. Repudiate the confederate War Debt
1863 – West Virginia, Tennessee, Arkansas, Louisiana were reconstructed under Lincoln’s plan.
**** Is it Restoration or Reconstruction?****
Practice Essay
10 Minute Essay – written during lecture.
Stress: the students look at the question and devise a strategy for answering it. This
should be their thesis statement.
Reconstruction Plan #2
Plan: Wade – Davis Plan (Ben Wade and John Davis)
When: Fall 1864
1864 – Radical Republicans Plan authors(Ben Wade and John Davis)
1. T. Stevens –Pennsylvania embraced this plan.
2. Two Goals Of the Radical Republicans who were in congress.
a.keeping the Protective Tariff
b. Keeping the Democrats from regaining political power and eliminating
the Republican voting majority in congress.
How? To keep the Republican voting majority in congress? THE radicals wanted
to ensure the Black Vote and they wanted to deprive confederate leaders of the right to
vote or to hold office.
c. Morrill Act 1862 – Fed. Aid to Education.
d. Homestead Law 1862 – 160 acres of free land to homesteaders.
e. Money Law 1863 – National Banding System – 450 mil.in paper money.
f. Fed. Aid to Railroads/and the Transcontinental Railroad - 1862
Philosophy: It was Congress’s duty to handle Reconstruction/ They wanted to punish the
Southern leaders/ Wanted Black voting rights (political and legal equality). They didn’t want
the Restoration of the “Planter Aristocracy.”
Why were the Radicals opposed to Lincoln’s Plan?
1. Doubt for loyalty of Confederates
2. Fear that Southerners would not treat Blacks fairly?
3. Lincoln’s Plan – Speedy and Lenient
This bill was a Counter Proposal to Lincoln’s 10% Plan:
How could the Southern States reenter the Union????
***The President would appoint a Governor for each of the Confederate states. (Congress had
to approve appointments.) THEN!!!!
1. 50% - white males had to take a present + future loyalty oath to the Union.
2. A minority of “White Southerners” had to take an oath of Past and Future loyalty to the
Union. Called the Iron Clad Oath – only this group would be permitted to vote or hold
office.
 This group could elect representatives to a Constitution Convention (The governor
could call an election for a state run convention.)
 This group would approve or reject the new state constitution offered to them.
3. Once a New Constitution was approved, citizens who had taken an oath of present and
future loyalty to Union could vote and take part in governing the state.
4. They had to repudiate the Confederate debt.
5. They had to revoke Secession
6. They had to agree to abolish slavery(13th Amendment)
How do Southerners regain their Citizenship???????
*They had to ask for a pardon.
*They had to take an oath of allegiance to the Union( present and future)
What to do with Confederate civil and military officials:
Exception: High ranking civil and military officers in the confederacy would be excluded
from voting or holding office.
Lincoln refused to approve the Wade – Davis Bill.!!!!!!!
Why? 1. To inflexible a plan
2. Abolition of slavery – should be done by an amendment. (Lincoln did not want a
revival of “states rights.”)
Lincoln did not outright reject the bill he Pocket Vetoed Bill. And the Moderates agreed with
him.
******Moderates controlled Congress in 1864-65.*******
April 9, 1865 – The War came to an end and Lincoln knew he had to issue a more complete plan
for Reconstruction. He went to Ford’s Theater promising to reveal his completed plan the next
day. (Pressure on Lincoln from Congress – What is the rest of your Reconstruction plan?)
April 14, 1865 – Lincoln Assassinated by John Wilkes Booth.
Dr. Henry Mudd fixed Booth’s Broken Leg – Your name is mud.
Johnson Becomes President – April 15, 1865
1. Became President in 1865, following Abraham Lincoln’s assassination, and served one
term.
2. He was born in North Carolina, but his home state as a candidate was Tennessee.
3. Was the only President to be impeached, was acquitted in a Senate trial.
Problems facing Johnson
#1Circumstances in the United States following the War!!!!
a. Consequences & problems facing the South at the end of the Civil War.
1. Destruction of south plantations
2. Destruction of south cities
3. How was the south to resume its place in federal government
4. What to do with freedmen
5. Death of 250,000 confederate men
b. Problems facing the North at the end of the War.
1. Uncertain future for ex-Yankee soldiers.
2. Need for Jobs
3. Northern-War Industries dried up(downsizing retooling)
4. Emotional Depression
a. Death of Lincoln
b. Death of soldiers
C.
Foreign Problems facing the United States at the end of the War.
1. Napoleon III enthroned an Austrian- Maximilian-on the thrown of Mexico
2. Alabama & others claims pg. 438
a. Invasion of Canada- pushed by the Irish
b. Dominion of Canada est. 1867
3. To avoid trouble with Russia-(Alexander II) we bought Alaska-1867
D. Major Problem = Lincoln and Johnson warred with congress over who should be in
charge of Reconstruction!!!!!!
Reconstruction/Approaches for Dealing with South
#1. Radical Approach
a. Charles Sumner- “state suicide” (wanted to Punish the south-Divide southern
estates & give the land to blacks.
b. Thaddeus Stevens- “Conquered Provinces” read amsco pg. 232-4 reasons
#2Lincoln and Johnson plans or Moderate Reconstruction
 Lincoln and Johnson’s view: the conflict was a rebellion of individuals
 Therefore they could be pardoned by President, could then restore south
 Conflict, according to Radicals, - as complete political organizations had
committed-state suicide
 They were therefore Terrorists of the U.S.A. and were in the same position as
any unorganized Terr.
 Thus Congress should be in charge of reconstruction –Article 4 section 3
Moderates were pro Lincoln
 But felt Lincoln had overstepped his authority during the war & encroached on
the Legislative Powers of Congress.
 They felt congress should be in charge of reconstruction.
Republican’s Fear
A loss of political power once southerners returned to Congress – which would threaten:
 Tariffs
 The National bank
 Free Land
 Aid to Railroad
*** Transcontinental Railroad began in 1862***
Reconstruction Plan #3
Johnson’s Plan – was Basically Lincoln’s 10% Plan
**Lenient Reconstruction plan announced (May 29, 1865)
Philosophy:
1. Southern plantation owners caused war.
2. Be Lenient
3. Target the rich – those who had property that was valued at $20,000.00 or more before
the war.
April 15 – December 6, 1865 Johnson Governments were created in all Southern States!!!!
1. How do Confederates regain their citizenship?
 Have to ask for pardon
 Oath of Allegiance –when 10% of the 1860 voters took the oath a new state
constitution could be written.
2. How do the states reenter the Union – Each State had to write a new state constitution
1. Revoke orders of secession
2. Repudiate southern debt
3. Accept the 13th Amendment
4. Once this was done, a Provisional government could be established in each state,
and they could draw up a new state constitutions as well as reapply for statehood
3. Exceptions:
*** Same as Lincoln, almost!!!!
What to do with Ex-Confederate civil and military leaders?
 Confederates with taxable property worth $20,000 or more before the war had
to ask Johnson personally for a pardon.
 Ex military and civil leaders could not vote or hold office.
4. These Regimes then began to pass Black Codes
 These codes were used to regulate the affairs of the blacks.
** Southerners said this. American Trade p. 276
4. Elections were held for representatives and senators for December 5, 1865.
CONGRESSIONAL RECONSTRUCTION BEGINS DECEMBER 5,
1865
**Consequences of Johnson Governments**
1. Scores of distinguished southerners were on hand (Dec. 5, 1865) to claim their seats in
congress.
 i.e.: Alexander Stephens – Vice President of Confederacy. Still under indictment
for treason.
2. Fear – Southers + Copperheads + Discontented farmers of the north and west would
take power from the Republican party and destroy the industrial and financial
foundations of the party.
The Radicals React – When the Nation saw the blatant disregard for the laws concerning
Reconstruction. Congress began to take control of Reconstruction:
3. Radicals lead by Stevens in Congress pushed for a NEW approach to Reconstruction.!!
*December 5. 1865
 Denied Southern members their seats
 Promptly set up the Joint Committee on Reconstruction
(15 members)
4. The Committee: The Joint Congressional Committee of 15
 6 Senators, 9 Representatives
a) Established the Freedmen’s Bureau
Its Purpose:
* Provide Food
* Provide Clothing
* Provide Education for the Freedmen!!!!
b) Civil Rights Bill passed: March 1866
* Gave blacks citizenship
* Struck at the Black Codes
* Johnson vetoed this, and radicals got this veto overridden!!!
** **A war had now developed between President Johnson (a stubborn man) and the Radical
Leadership of Congress****
c) Congress drew up the 14th Amendment to insure Black citizenship – 1866 (June)
1) It Said the following things:
i.
Conferred Civil Rights on Blacks
ii.
Reduced proportionally Southern Representatives in Congress if the
black ballot was denied
iii.
Disqualified certain confederates
2) This was sent to the states to be ratified in June of 1866
d) This bill was a set-back to Johnson’s plan of a speedy reuniting of t he Union
* So president Johnson encouraged the South to resist the 14th
Amendment
5. June 20 – Report of Joint Committee of 15
 Maintained the authority of Congress rather than the executive over the process
of Reconstruction
 Tennessee – under Radical control ratified the 14th Amendment (July 19)
6. Summer 1866
 Race riots broke out in New Orleans (July 30, 1866) and Memphis – This
supported the radicals contention that the south was unregenerate
 Johnson began the “Swing around the Circle” – speaking tour .
 August 28- September 15, 1866.
** 1866- Ex Parte Milligan: Involving the trial and convictions of civilians by military commission
at Indianapolis, - held the military commission authorized by the President to be void – and
released Milligan.
7. Fall 1866 – November Elections

Johnson tried to join all moderates in a new party at the National Union
Convention (Philadelphia, Aug. 14)

This convinced many Northerners that Johnson’s supporters were primarily exrebels and “Copperheads” who favored an immediate end to the war and
peaceful secession of the South.

(Butternuts – Northern Democrats during the war)

In the fall elections the Republicans capture two thirds of each house, giving the
Radicals effective control of Reconstruction.

“Wave the Bloody Shirt”
Phase II – Radical Reconstruction!
Reconstruction Plan # 4

Radicals won control of Congress (40th Congress) in the 1866 Mid – term elections
*Leaders: Charles Sumner and Thaddeus Stevens.

Philosophy: “Keep the Southern States out of congress as long as possible, apply federal power
to bring about drastic social and economic transformation in the south , and restrain the states
from abridging citizens rights.”

March 2, 1867 – 1st Reconstruction Act

South divided into 5 military districts subject to martial law. How do
Southerners regain their citizenship??????

Oath –Southerners had to take the oath of allegiance to the Union to
get Amnesty.

They had to approve universal manhood suffrage(13th Amendment)

Each State had to guarantee Negro suffrage

All states had to ratify the 14th Amendment
**exception: American Indians were not given citizenship.

March 23, 1867 :
o
How do the Southern States reenter the Union??????
The South failed to call new state constitutional conventions or comply with the 1st
Reconstruction Act: s-o-o-o-o = Congress passed new legistation

Supplemental Act #1 – required military commanders to enroll voters

Supplemental Act #2 – gave commanders power to discriminate between voters
and office holders
**majority rules even if it was not a quorum
**Scalawags and Carpetbaggers gained powerful legislative seats.

Johnson enforced these laws:
1. 20,000 troops were put in the South
2. The Johnson Gov’ts were dismantled
3. 703,000 Negroes and 627,000 whites were registered to vote.
4. Black men elected as delegates to state constitutional conventions held the greater
political authority.( Text p. 491)
5. Seward buys Alaska (7.2 million)

March 2, 1867 – Congress passed the Tenure of Office Act
Late in 1867 – Southern states voted to call conventions, which met in 1868 and established
new state constitutions. These conventions were radical dominated.
o Aug. 12, 1867 – Johnson dismissed Sec. of War Stanton
o
June 22-25, 1868 – Omnibus Act

o
7 States (Ark., Ala., Fla., GA., LA., N.C., and S.C.) were readmitted by Congress
Feb. 26, 1868 – Congress proposed the 15th Amendment
**All states readmitted by 1870

April 5, 1868 – Stevens and Company impeach Johnson
o
Ben Butler (Former Yankee General who occupied New Orleans) opens the
impeachment trial
o
Edwin G. Ross (Kansas) swung the vote against impeachment
**To Impeach: to charge with a crime.
House – Impeaches
Senate – has the trial

Nov. 1868 – Grant Elected President