History 201g - Reconstruction Era

Reconstruction Era

Jigar Patel

Mr. Virgilio

History 201G

14 October 2008

The Reconstruction Era began in 1865 and lasted till 1877. This was the period of change after the Civil War ended. It was a process through which Confederacy states were added back to the union. There were lots of challenges ahead for the United States of America. Most of the challenges took place during the reconstruction period.

The reconstruction era wasn't able to change the ideology of southern states over night, but it was done through many plans that were put into action in order to achieve unity. The plans were created by President Lincoln, President Johnson, Radical Republicans, and reconstruction acts. Even after putting all these put together were still not able to change the southern states completely.

President Lincoln's plan was put into action in 1863. His plan was to end the bitterness that was built during the war and to build a better and stronger republican party in the south. He put forward the Proclamation of Amnesty. This pardoned any Confederate who would swear to support the constitution and the union. The state would only be included in the union if it acquired the one tenth of people from total votes, during the presidential election President Lincoln took the oath to abolish slavery. This plan was opposed by the radicals and they passed the Wade-Davis bill which required the state to have 50 percent of the total voters in order to be included in the union. This was done to slow down the process of reconstruction. Some of the states did agree with Lincoln's plan but congress refused to enter them into the union. Later, Lincoln was assassinated.

After President Lincoln was assassination Andrew Johnson took his place as the president. He was able to please the radicals by attacking the planter aristocracy. His Proclamation of Amnesty was launched in 1865. Under his plan the governors held conventions that voided their regulation of secession, abolished slavery, and renounced confederate debts. Under this plan many southern states were able to put civil government in control. They also ratified the thirteenth amendment which freed the black slaves.

Yet some of the whites didn't like blacks having the same rights as them, so the laws called Black Codes were made. These laws restricted the African American from owning land and work as a free laborers. It also denied them of most civil rights. Yet the right to marry, right to sue, and own personal properties were given. Many northern states saw this as an act of southern states to reinforce slavery so they came up with Freedman's Bureau.

The Bureau was supported by General Oliver Howard