Reconstruction 1865 - 1896

Lincoln’s Plan, aka 10% Plan when 10% of a state’s voters took oath of loyalty to the Union they could form a new government and constitution all state constitutions must abolish slavery believed punishing south wouldn’t help anything offered a pardon to all Southerners who swore loyalty to America Louisiana, Arkansas, and Tennessee follow the plan but Congress refuses to accept their state representatives

Radical Republicans thought: Congress, not the President, should make the Reconstruction plans Lincoln was too easy on the South Wade-Davis Bill passed by Congress majority of white males in Southern state had to swear loyalty only those who hadn’t fought were allowed to participate in creating a new state constitution

April 14, 1865 – Lincoln assassinated Ford’s Theatre in DC John Wilkes Booth shot him in the back of the head Booth escaped but was hunted by Union troops and shot to death in a barn military court convicted 8 others of a plot to assassinate other high government officials VP Andrew Johnson takes office Senator from Tennessee only southern Senator who supported Union during the Civil War

Johnson’s Restoration Plan: pardon to most who swore oath of loyalty Confederate officials and wealthy landowners had to personally apply for pardon from the President federal government appointed state governors only whites who had been pardoned allowed to vote for a new state constitution each state would be allowed to decide what to do with former slaves, but every state constitution had to abolish slavery

Many southern state legislatures passed “black codes” – laws to control freed slaves arrested African Americans had to work for white employers to pay off fines African Americans banned from owning or renting property whites allowed to take orphaned African Americans as unpaid apprentices Civil Rights Act of 1866 African Americans given full citizenship Fed. gov. given power to stop black codes vetoed by Johnson – said it was unconstitutional because Congress did not have representatives from every state Congress overrode veto and the bill became a law

14th Amendment = full citizenship to all individuals born in the U.S. did not include Native Americans every southern state except Tennessee refused to ratify amendment was not officially adopted until 1868 Reconstruction Act of 1867 the 10 Southern states who did not ratify 14th Amendment had to create a new state government Tennessee allowed back into the union 10 states divided into 5 military districts, each controlled by a military commander until their new government was formed guaranteed male African Americans the right to vote banned Confederate leaders from political office

Johnson, as the commander-in-chief, controlled the military leaders controlling each district Congress passed laws to limit his power like the Tenure of Office Act – kept President from removing government officials without Senate approval Johnson fired Secretary of War while Congress was not in session and appointed unapproved generals to be Southern commanders House accused him of misconduct and voted to impeach him 3 month impeachment trial Who has supreme power – President or Congress? 1 vote short of required 2/3 to get him out of office Stays in office until end of his term in 1869

15th Amendment – prohibits any state or federal government from denying males the right to vote because of “race, color, or previous condition of servitude”