Plans for Reconstruction Pgs. 402-408 U.S. History A Plans for Reconstruction Pgs. 402-408

The South after the War Richmond was in ruins, as were many other cities and towns Former slaves had very few job opportunities and many were unable to make a living Many small farmers died fighting the war, leaving their farms without proper care

More than 20% of the South’s white population died in the war Plantations suffered from the loss of slaves War damage also left the South’s transportation network in bad shape

Challenges for African Americans Nearly 4 million former slaves had won their freedom Many former slaves were no longer willing to work long hours Ways had to be found to provide educational and economic opportunities for all formerly enslaved African Americans

How to Treat the South? What place would African Americans have in political life in the South? What was the status of the Confederate states? Should Confederate states be forgiven? Sold Confederate states be punished?

Wartime Reconstruction Congress created the Freedmen’s Bureau to provide help to the thousands of black and white southerners uprooted by the fighting Congress wanted to trample the South Lincoln wanted to simply let the South rejoin the Union

Lincoln’s Reconstruction Plans In 1862 Lincoln appointed military governors temporarily to rule parts of the Confederacy that were already in Union hands When 10% of a state’s voters had pledged loyalty to the Union and support for emancipation, the state could rejoin the Union

Lincoln’s actions created a big debate in Congress over who would control Reconstruction Lincoln supporters said that since secession was unlawful, the Confederate states had never left the Union and Congress did not need to readmit them

Some members of Congress felt Lincoln’s plan was too lenient Congress proposed its plan for Reconstruction called the Wade-Davis Bill Required a majority of a state’s white male citizens to pledge loyalty before a new government could be elected Lincoln killed the bill with a pocket veto

Lincoln’s Assassination John Wilkes Booth shot Lincoln while the president watched a play at Ford’s Theater in Washington, D.C. on April 14, 1865 Booth planned to kidnap the president and exchange him for Confederate prisoners of war

Booth decided to kill Lincoln after the president did not appear where Booth planned to kidnap him Other plotters were assigned to assassinate Secretary of State William Seward and Vice President Andrew Johnson on the same night Booth was the only one to succeed

After shooting the president, Booth jumped onto the stage, breaking his leg He yelled “Sic semper tyrannis” (Thus always to tyrants) and then ran off the stage Booth escaped to Virginia He was surrounded in a barn by Union troops and shot when he refused to surrender

As Booth laid dying, he asked a Union soldier to hold up his hands before his face He looked at them and uttered “Useless… Useless…”, and then died Booth’s co-conspirators were tried and hanged Andrew Johnson became the new president