Reconstruction Begins

Lincoln’s Plan for Reconstruction Offered Amnesty, a pardon to a large group of people, to all southerners who took an oath pledging allegiance to the Union When 10% of voters in a seceded state took an oath, that state could organize a new state government Certain people were excluded from amnesty Confederate Government Officials Members of Confederate Congress Officers in the Confederate Army

Criticisms of Lincoln Lincoln’s Plan was viewed as being lenient on the South so that American government could resume Thaddeus Stevens of Pennsylvania did not want to reconcile with the South

Radical Republicans More liberal members of the Republican Party began to form the group called Radical Republicans This group had 3 major goals for Reconstruction Prevent Confederate leaders from returning to power in Congress Wanted Republicans to become the dominant Give freed slaves the right to vote

Wade-Davis Bill In between the two extremes of Lincoln and the Radicals was a group of moderates This group felt that Lincoln was too lenient on the South but the Radicals were going too far by giving freed slaves the right to vote Compromise between these two extremes comes from the Wade-Davis Bill which said: Majority of adult white men must take an oath of allegiance to the union Once that was reached, the state could hold a convention and create a new constitution Government officials could not be former supporters of the Confederacy Each state must abolish slavery Congress passed this bill but President Lincoln declined it through a pocket veto