Plans for Southern Reconstruction

Lincoln’s Plan As early as 1863 Lincoln designed a plan known as the ten percent plan. Lincoln believed that the sooner the nation were reunited, the sooner the south would be able to rebuild. Under this plan, southern states could form a new government if ten percent of the population swore an oath of loyalty to the United States. If ten percent swore this loyalty, voters could then elect members to once again take part in the national government. This plan offered amnesty to confederates who swore loyalty to the union. Amnesty would never be provided to the former leaders of the Confederacy.

Lincoln’s Plan What were some of the Pros and Cons of Lincoln’s plan?

Wade-Davis Bill With the feeling that the ten percent plan was too generous toward the south, a rival plan called the Wade-Davis Bill was proposed by Republicans in Congress. This bill required a majority of white men in each southern state to swear loyalty to the union. This also denied the right to vote or hold office to anyone who had volunteered to fight for the Confederacy. Lincoln refused to sign the Wade-Davis Bill because he thought it was too harsh.

Wade-Davis Bill What were some of the pros and cons of the Wade-Davis Bill?

Johnson’s Plan After the death of Lincoln, many expected Andrew Johnson to support a strict reconstruction plan. Johnson had represented Tennessee in congress when his state seceded, yet remained loyal to the Union. Instead his plan was fairly tame, it called for a majority of voters in each of the southern states to declare loyalty to the United States. Each state also had to ratify the Thirteenth Amendment, which banned slavery throughout the nation. Former Confederate officials may hold office and vote. Under Johnson’s Plan voters in the south easily met these conditions and therefore were able to create new state governments. Voters in the south eventually elected leaders, many of which had previously been leaders of the Confederacy. Southern states also refused to allow African-Americans to vote. Republican members were furious about this and decided to come up with a new plan for Southern Reconstruction of their own.

Johnson’s Plan What were some of the pros and cons of Johnson’s Plan.

Radical Republican Plan for Reconstruction With anger toward Johnson’s Plan and continued mistreatment of African- Americans after their re- admittance under Johnson’s plan, the “Radical Republicans” decided to come up with their own strict plan for Reconstruction and also vowed to control the government. Under this plan, Republicans demanded that all newly formed Southern Governments be dismantled. States would also be forced to write new Constitutions This Bill would also force states to pass the 14th Amendment, which declared that no person could be discriminated against because of their race. Under this Amendment, each citizen could not be denied life, liberty, or property, without due process. It also allowed all male citizens over the age of 21 the right to vote. If any state denied the right to vote to anyone, its representation in government would be limited. The South was also divided up into five military districts controlled by army commanders who had strict power to enforce reconstruction plans. Republicans also demanded African-Americans had the right to vote, in order to protect them from mistreatment within their own states. Andrew Johnson, unhappy with much of this attempted to stop these Radical Republicans and issues between Johnson and his Congress continued throughout his Presidency.