The Battle to Rebuild  2/3’s of the South was destroyed from the war  agricultural systems, railroads, bridges, housing and the economy were ruined  People in the South were unemployed, homeless and hungry

Reconstruction Problems  How should the Southern states become part of the Union again?  If you were President, what would you do to get the United States back together?

Before dying, Lincoln had a plan for Reconstruction  He wanted to reconcile with the South. He did not want to punish them.

He felt harsh treatment would be counterproductive He felt harsh treatment would be counterproductive

Pocket Veto  Congress passed the Wade Davis Bill but Lincoln stopped it with a pocket veto  He refused to sign it and the Congress’s session expired so the bill “died”  Why would Lincoln do this?

Lincoln’s Plan  Any southerner that took an oath of loyalty to the Union would be pardoned  When 10% of voters took the oath, the state could organize a new state government.  The Radical Republicans opposed Lincoln’s plan

The Radical Republican Plan  Do NOT allow Confederate leaders to regain power  Give African Americans federal help and the right to vote  Allow the Republican Party to take control of the south

Moderate Republicans Moderate Republicans Believed Lincoln was too lenient and the Radicals were too harsh!!!!

Solution! The Wade Davis Bill  Majority of white men in Confederacy take an oath of loyalty to the Union  State governments would be created  The state governments would: abolish slavery and refuse former Confederate leaders and military officers the right to vote or hold office

Johnson’s Plan  Offered pardons to all former Confederates who pledged loyalty to the Union- excluding former officers and officials  Confederate states had to rewrite state constitutions, revoke secession & ratify the 13th amendment

Problem: many southerners elected former Confederate leaders to represent them in Congress

Republicans are angry  Republicans rejected new southern members to Congress  Southern legislatures passed black codes that limited the rights of African Americans in the South  This also angered Republicans

Radical Republicans take control  Passed the Civil Rights Act of 1866  Granting citizenship to all person’s born in the U.S. except Native Americans

Republicans call for new laws  The South erupts in violence between whites and blacks  14th amendment: granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the US and declared that no state could deprive a person of life liberty or property without due process of law  States also had to give equal protection of the laws

Election of 1866  Congressional seats tilt in favor of the Republicans  The Military Reconstruction Act is passed  The South is split into 5 military districts, a Union general is placed in charge of each district

Stop Johnson from interfering  How?  Pass the Tenure of Office Act: required Senate approval to fire anyone whose appointment had required Senate consent  This is unconstitutional!

Johnson’s Impeachment  Johnson fires Sec. of War Stanton without approval from Congress  This violates the Tenure of Office Act  He was charged with “high crimes and misdemeanors” in office  The Senate tried him and voted  The outcome: NOT GUILTY- Johnson was 1 vote short of being convicted and removed from office

Election of 1868  General Ulysses S. Grant is nominated to run for the Presidency by the Republicans  He wins  The Republican congress passed the 15th amendment granting African American men the right to vote