Throughout the history of the United States, there have been many decisions that have impacted the path that society would take and multiple possibilities for each decision. One such decision was related to the Civil War, more specifically the plans for reconstruction after the Civil War. After the Civil War the nation had to rebuild and three plans were provided that outlined a process for the reconstruction, Lincoln’s plan, Johnson’s plan, and the Radical Republican’s plan. Lincoln’s plan called for restoring the Union as quickly as possible with very little punishment for the Southern states. Lincoln’s plan included amnesty for those that pledged an oath to the United States, high ranking Confederate officials were excluded from that amnesty, …show more content…
His plan also stated that African-Americans should not be guaranteed equal rights unless the individual state allowed it and that African-Americans should only be allowed to vote if they could read or write. The Radical Republican’s plan, also known as the Congressional plan, was the plan was ultimately used. This plan called for military rule of Southern states until the new laws and provisions were enforced. It mandated that the states would have to write a new Constitution, guarantee African-Americans full rights, including the right to vote, and that Confederate officials were banned from voting and holding political offices. These actions were decided on, because it was a way to get revenge, help the freedmen, and keep the Republican party in power. Now that a basic understanding of the plans has been reached, the topic of which plan was used can be discussed. Of the three plans the Radical Republican’s plan was the correct option, because it had the support of Congress, it focused on the Freedmen, and gave the country the chance to …show more content…
This plan This plan led to the creation of important amendments that would shape the nation and, since it was the only plan that the congress excepted, it was the most successful. It can be seen as the birth of Civil Rights, by giving African-Americans the same political rights and opportunities as white citizens. This happened through the fourteenth and fifteenth Amendments of the Constitution, which granted African-Americans citizenship and the right to vote. However, with the underlying agenda of the plan people often consider it to be a false victory. This comes from the fact that the plan was intended to punish the Southern states that seceded and keep the Republicans in power and the primary objective was not just the equality of
There were two major plans for government submitted by the states: the Virginia plan- A.K.A the Large States plan, and the New Jersey Plan- A.K.A the Small States Plan. The Virginia Plan was made to specifically benefit the large, slave-holding, southern states. It called for a bicameral legislature which would take a state’s population into account when selecting the number of senators and representatives for a state. This would have given massive power to the southern states which had large populations due to slaves as opposed to the free, northern states. In reply to this was the New Jersey Plan, which was unicameral and gave equal representation to each state regardless of population.
The Reconstruction of many Southern states from the year 1865 to 1877 is a failure, although reconstruction plans are set up, African Americans still face the same poor treatment they are given prior to the Civil War. The president at the time, Abraham Lincoln, puts in place a reconstruction plan to help rebuild the South in a way it has never been before, without slaves. Lincoln also puts the thirteenth amendment in place, which abolishes slavery. However, after Lincoln’s death, his Vice President, Andrew Johnson takes over and overrules his reconstruction plan, and puts in place his own, which favors the former Confederate states. Johnson fights with congress over the passing of the fourteenth amendemnet, but Congress overrules his vetoes,
1.10% Plan: the ten percent plan also known as Lincoln’s ten percent plan and the Proclamation of amnesty and reconstruction, was a plan that stated that the southern states that participated in secession can again become part of the Union if 10% of the people in that state (voter rolls for the election of 1860) swear an oath of allegiance to the Union. With this vow came Lincoln pardoning those southern states for their wrongs. Their wrongs were secession and slavery, and they could then be admitted into the Union. When a Confederate state got ten percent of its people to swear according the the oath, that state would get a new government, and the Union would not consider it separate, but recognize it. The states that were readmitted were
Reconstruction Era: Congressional Reconstruction During the Reconstruction Era President Abraham Lincoln introduced the “10 percent plan”. Abraham Lincoln’s plan included allowing Confederate states to rejoin the union once 10 percent of the people swore an oath of loyalty. His plan also included for states to formalize the 13th Amendment to eradicate slavery. Radical Republicans led by Thaddeus Stevens thought that the Reconstruction Plan that was put forth by Abraham Lincolns was too lenient on the Confederate States.
Madison’s plan would abolish slavery and establish proportional representation, make the House of representatives the foundation of national policy making and its members would be chosen directly by voters. The Virginia Plan would limit the power of the states, and would give smaller states less power which sparkled opposites sides like Dickson and Sherman that urged delegates to focus on specific authority in the new government instead of an abstract representation. The core of the opposition was made of smaller states that were afraid they wouldn’t be given as much representation and what a central government with that much power could do. Many of the southern states were afraid they would not get as much representation in the House, as these states were mainly composed of slaves, and at the same time were against the broadening of the national
In the spring of 1865, the Civil War came to a close with the North victorious, but that was not an end to the country’s problems. The question that was now at hand and on everyone’s mind was how to rebuild the broken and shattered nation. Lincoln during the Civil War had introduced the Ten Percent plan in which states that were in rebellion against the federal government could rejoin the union if ten percent of the state’s population took an oath of allegiance to the U.S and agreed to the emancipation of slaves.
The assumption plan was another major decision made by the administration. Again, Jefferson and the south were
When Congress passed Amendments XIII, XIV, and XV the plan was to legalize privileges granted to all parties in the reconstruction process, and to make known consequences if not followed. Unfortunately these precepts were not strictly enforced and the white south reverted to previous behaviors. Conveniently Mississippi devised their own plan to control the lives of the black populace. The Mississippi plan spells out the intentions of the white south to curb the influence of the black population.
The controversial measure put forth by the group required an oath from all former Confederate states prior to regaining Union entry. Lincoln’s measure called more a more lenient process, requiring only 10 percent of the states to take the path (Holt, 1995). The bill outlined by Lincoln also pardoned most southerners in the Confederate led rebellion against the federal government of the United States. It was touted to be designed as a peace plan intended to help shorten the time of war. In the policy, Lincoln did insist that slavery be abolished by the new state governments established through the reconstruction effort.
They wanted the federal government to force change in the South. Like the moderates, they disliked the Black Codes. However, the Radical Republicans wanted the federal government to be much more involved in Reconstruction. They were frightened that too many southern leaders remained loyal to the former Confederacy and would not enforce the new laws.
Reconstruction was a period of time dedicated to rebuilding the nation after the Civil War. The war ended with the South being defeated and their economy being devastated. Many Southerners struggled after the war with rebuilding their land and lives. The President and Congress had to decide the terms for which the former Confederate states would be permitted to join the Union. President Lincoln’s plan for reuniting the country was found in the Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction.
The only way to end slavery was by retrieving the abusive power from the government. The Republicans, the anti-slavery party, was determined to end the future of Southerners’ peculiar
After the Union won the major battles that is when Lincoln had put the ten percent plan on the table, this plan was when ten percent of the state’s eligible voters pledge oath to US then they could join the Union. To begin with, there are a few reasons why one would say that reconstruction in the south was a failure. One of these reasons being that, even after the civil war in the South’s government passed laws to limit the rights of the free African Americans. In document C we can see this is evident where it states “No negro or freedmen shall be allowed to come within the limits of the town of Opelousas without special permission of his employers. Whoever breaks this law will go to jail and work for two days on the public streets, or pay a fine of five dollars.”
Efforts from the congress after the rejection of President Andrew Johnson’s Reconstruction Plan involved enacting laws and amendments that enforced equal rights only to the now freed male slaves and gave them the right to vote and hold office. The government, confronted with formation of anti-equality groups such as the Ku Klux Klan and many others that opposed equality, soon enacted the Black Codes. The congress then passed the Freedmen’s Bureau and Civil Rights Bills in hopes to settle the quarrels of slavery by declaring all born in the U.S as citizens but unfortunately, Johnson declined these bills. To retaliate, the Civil Rights Act
Reconstruction a Failure or Success? Throughout the years, America has gone through many different political changes. Many presidents selected with different plans for our future. Sadly, many of those objectives have failed or came to an end.