The Reconstruction Era: President Johnson Versus the Radical Republicans
THE RECONSTRUCTION ERA: PRESIDENT JOHNSON VERSUS THE RADICAL REPUBLICANS
Abraham Lincoln issued the Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction as the Reconstruction plan in 1863, two years before the end of civil war. Lincoln proposed the Ten-Percent Plan with a provision requiring the ex-confederate states to rewrite their constitution stating their allegiance to the United States. Those states can be admitted back if ten percent of its eligible voters pledged their loyalty to the Union. Included in Lincoln’s program was the Freedmen's Bureau. This program was a federal government agency organized to help the freed slaves and should operate for at least a year. The Bureau encouraged former plantation owners to rebuild their plantations. To the freed blacks, the agency helped them get jobs, and they were given food supplies and land. Included also in this program was the supervision in equality in labor and management so that blacks may be treated fairly.
Soon after President Lincoln was assassinated, Vice President Andrew Johnson took over as president. The Radical leaders believed that Lincoln’s plan was too lenient (because they wanted 50 percent instead of ten). Nevertheless, the Moderate Republicans initially supported President Johnson and gave him a chance. President Johnson was a pro-slavery Democrat therefore he received much support from the Southern whites. The favor he enjoyed in the beginning from both sides could have probably created conceit in him not thinking that the Northerners wanted the South to be in submission, and that they wanted a better situation for the African-Americans.
Contrary to the Radical leaders’ conviction, President Johnson insisted that the Southern states should be left to rebuild themselves in the way they had been always used to. He readmitted the southern states using Lincoln’s Ten-Percent Plan and granted southerners full pardon. Furthermore, he favored the aristocrats by returning all their properties (except
Abraham Lincoln issued the Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction as the Reconstruction plan in 1863, two years before the end of civil war. Lincoln proposed the Ten-Percent Plan with a provision requiring the ex-confederate states to rewrite their constitution stating their allegiance to the United States. Those states can be admitted back if ten percent of its eligible voters pledged their loyalty to the Union. Included in Lincoln’s program was the Freedmen's Bureau. This program was a federal government agency organized to help the freed slaves and should operate for at least a year. The Bureau encouraged former plantation owners to rebuild their plantations. To the freed blacks, the agency helped them get jobs, and they were given food supplies and land. Included also in this program was the supervision in equality in labor and management so that blacks may be treated fairly.
Soon after President Lincoln was assassinated, Vice President Andrew Johnson took over as president. The Radical leaders believed that Lincoln’s plan was too lenient (because they wanted 50 percent instead of ten). Nevertheless, the Moderate Republicans initially supported President Johnson and gave him a chance. President Johnson was a pro-slavery Democrat therefore he received much support from the Southern whites. The favor he enjoyed in the beginning from both sides could have probably created conceit in him not thinking that the Northerners wanted the South to be in submission, and that they wanted a better situation for the African-Americans.
Contrary to the Radical leaders’ conviction, President Johnson insisted that the Southern states should be left to rebuild themselves in the way they had been always used to. He readmitted the southern states using Lincoln’s Ten-Percent Plan and granted southerners full pardon. Furthermore, he favored the aristocrats by returning all their properties (except