Civil war 7
Civil war 7After the Civil War ended in 1865, the south was in total ruins. Houses were
destroyed, crops were gone, and lives would never be the same again. It
wouldn�t be until years after the war that people would get their lives back on
track. Whites in the south now hated the blacks and still think they are
inferior.
The process of rebuilding that followed the American Civil War was
known as reconstruction. The war left a set of pressing questions concerning
with what to do with the South. These questions involved the relationship
with the former Confederate states and the Union; the type of punishment that
should be imposed on the ones responsible for the rebellion; the status of the
freed slaves and how to restore the South�s economy. President Lincoln,
President Johnson and the Radical Republicans each had their own plans.
Lincoln started thinking about reconstruction as early as 1863. He
wanted for 10 percent of the voters in each southern state to take an oath of
loyalty to the United States. After this the state could form its own
government. The government had to abolish slavery. After this was done the
government could elect congressmen and participate in national politics. His
plan was known to be lenient; many had opposed it.
Unfortunately President Lincoln did not live to carry out all of his
plans. A Democrat was elected into office and took over. The new president
was Andrew Johnson. His plan was as much mild as Lincoln�s. Johnson
wanted to restore power to the Southern states as quickly as possible. Under
his plan a majority of the voters had to pledge loyalty to the United States and
the 13th amendment had to be ratified. Southern whites quickly switched
their governments according to Johnson�s plan and restricted the rights of the
newly freed slaves.
The Radical...
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