1. Reconstruction Begins

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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