FREE ESSAY ON RECONSTRUCTION

RECONSTRUCTION

Philip Smith
AP American History
Mr. Catapano
02/24/00
After the Civil War ended, President Lincoln was faced with the task of rejoining a Union
which was thriving less than fifty years earlier. In 1863 to achieve this goal, Lincoln
introduced his "restoration plan" to the country. During this time of Reconstruction many
compromises were made in order to bring the south into American society once more, while
incorporating the needs of the newly emancipated slaves. Although Lincoln was very
helpful in trying to join the north and south, he was assassinated before and his
successor, Andrew Johnson disliked by the majority of the nation, could not follow
through with its ideals. During this time, ex-slaves were trying to integrate into the
new American economy and society. Throughout the course of the twelve year period of
Reconstruction, black Americans made significant gains in their struggle for equal
rights. Because of the lack of attention and the unfair manner Johnson treated the North,
all who opposed him aided black Americans in their goal for economic and social equality
of opportunity.
President Lincoln's announcement of restoration plans for the country began with what he
called his 10% plan. He proposed an exculpation for Confederate citizens, not including
high-ranking officials, who agreed to take an oath pledging their loyalty to the Union
and accept all the Union's wartime acts and proclamations concerning to slavery. Once 10%
of any confederate state took that oath, those specific individuals would be then allowed
to organize a new state government. During this time congress was made up of the radical
republicans, the moderate republicans, and the democrats. The radical republicans wanted
none of the leaders of the Confederacy to come to power in the South, and wanted the
establishment of the republican party as the "national party." They also demanded that
the federal government should ensure civil rights for the ex-slaves. The moderate
Republicans agreed with the radicals mostly, but were not confident about full equality
for black Americans. The last group, the democrats who wanted the South to be integrated
into the new American society with as little restrictions as possible. As a result of
these very intense differences across party lines republicans and democrats did not get
along well at all. But because of Lincoln's 10% plan, Northerners and Southerners alike
were able to compromise on a suitable way to unite the country, even though no party was
fully satisfied with Lincoln's plan. As negotiations progressed, the South was integrated
into the North quicker and the political parties were willing to compromise for that
time, but on April 4, 1865, President Lincoln was shot in the head at Ford's Theater in
Washington, by a unstable actor named John Wilkes Booth. Immediately after Lincoln's
death, his Vice President Andrew Johnson, a democrat, was sworn into office.
Andrew Johnson introduced Presidential Reconstruction to the nation. He provided pardon's
and returns of all property except slaves to almost all southerners if they took an oath
to of allegiance to the Union. Rich southerners and high-ranking confederates who
personally apologized to him were also given amnesty. Eventually all confederates met
Johnson's demands and by 1865 all the Southern states had active governments. Johnson's
lenient behavior caused him to lose the support of the radical republicans and eventually
the moderate republicans began to the side of the radicals. Johnson alienated more
members of congress as he vetoed acts passed. One act, for example, the Reconstruction
Act of 1867, which started that all men, including blacks, can vote for state
constitutional conventions to improve the fourteenth amendment. Since congress would
allow southern states to come into the Union only if they ratified the fourteenth
amendment, congress had seen enough. At this point, both the moderate and radical
republicans took control of congress and announced the Tenure of Office Act. This act
prohibited Johnson from firing any cabinet officials. Johnson did not take this new act
seriously and challenged congress by firing an radical republican, Stanton. Once congress
heard of this, they immediately impeached President Johnson. Chief Justice Chase presided
over the trial and he came to the conclusion that the Tenure of Office Act was
unconstitutional. Only because of some very important Supreme Court decisions Johnson was
not removed from office.
In the midst of these bazaar occurrences, the black Americans felt that they had to fight
for their rights for economic and social equality. With little representation from only
the radical republicans, their only supporters, the black community felt that they had to
create a company that would assist ex-slaves. The company was known as the Freedmen's
Bureau. It fed and clothed war refugees of both races, rented confiscated land to "loyal
refugees and freedmen," and drafted and enforced labor contracts between freedmen and
farmers. It also helped to educate and train ex-slaves so as to help them integrate into
white dominated society. Even though black Americans were being helped by a stable
bureau, white supremacy rained in the the racist south. The Ku Klux Klan, created by
Nathan Bedford Forrest, traveled around the south killing blacks as well as destroying
mass amounts of their property. Also beginning in 1865, new southern laws, known as Black
Codes became popular in most southern states. These laws were designed to keep the free
blacks in a state as close to slavery as possible. "Localities set curfews, required
black agricultural workers to obtain passes from their employers, insisted that blacks
who wanted to live in town obtain white sponsors, and, in an effort to prevent political
gatherings, sharply regulated meetings of blacks, including those held in churches. Fines
and forced labor were the penalties for violators."1 These ozbstacles only made the
ex-slaves more determined to gain equality. 
In 1868, in reaction to a Civil Rights bill, vetoed by President Johnson, the congress,
influenced by the radical republicans, transported the principals of the Civil Rights
bill to the fourteenth Amendment. The fourteenth Amendment conferred civil rights and
citizenship for all former slaves, and was incorporated into the requirements for a
southern state to regain its statehood. After the fourteenth Amendment was passed,
however, the radical faction of congress was disappointed that it did not grant blacks
the right to vote. When this fear that southern states might amend their constitutions so
as to withdraw blacks from the ballot was recognized by moderate republicans, Congress
formally placed the ballot in the hands of blacks with the fifteenth Amendment, passed in
1869.
What was started by Abraham Lincoln as a time for healing and unification of the Nation,
a time known as Reconstruction was soon diminished by the decisions and actions of Andrew
Johnson. Johnson acted in what he saw was his best interest and not the best interest of
the nation and the black Americans. The irony is that all the opposition in the country
towards Johnson caused a unity in the republican party that demanded change. The party
used this power to pass very important legislation to aid the struggle for social and
economic equality for the former slaves.