1. Reconstruction

2. Lincoln’s Plan, aka 10% Plan
when 10% of a state’s voters took oath of loyalty to the Union they could form a new government and constitution
all state constitutions must abolish slavery
believed punishing south wouldn’t help anything
offered a pardon to all Southerners who swore loyalty to America
Louisiana, Arkansas, and Tennessee follow the plan but Congress refuses to accept their state representatives

3. Radical Republicans thought:
Congress, not the President, should make the Reconstruction plans
Lincoln was too easy on the South
Wade-Davis Bill passed by Congress
majority of white males in Southern state had to swear loyalty
only those who hadn’t fought were allowed to participate in creating a new state constitution

4. April 14, 1865 – Lincoln assassinated
Ford’s Theatre in DC
John Wilkes Booth shot him in the back of the head
Booth escaped but was hunted by Union troops and shot to death in a barn
military court convicted 8 others of a plot to assassinate other high government officials
VP Andrew Johnson takes office
Senator from Tennessee
only southern Senator who supported Union during the Civil War

5. Johnson’s Restoration Plan:
pardon to most who swore oath of loyalty
Confederate officials and wealthy landowners had to personally apply for pardon from the President
federal government appointed state governors
only whites who had been pardoned allowed to vote for a new state constitution
each state would be allowed to decide what to do with former slaves, but every state constitution had to abolish slavery

6. Many southern state legislatures passed “black codes” – laws to control freed slaves
arrested African Americans had to work for white employers to pay off fines
African Americans banned from owning or renting property
whites allowed to take orphaned African Americans as unpaid apprentices
Civil Rights Act of 1866
African Americans given full citizenship
Fed. gov. given power to stop black codes
vetoed by Johnson – said it was unconstitutional because Congress did not have representatives from every state
Congress overrode veto and the bill became a law

7. 14th Amendment = full citizenship to all individuals born in the U.S.
did not include Native Americans
every southern state except Tennessee refused to ratify amendment
was not officially adopted until 1868
Reconstruction Act of 1867
the 10 Southern states who did not ratify 14th Amendment had to create a new state government
Tennessee allowed back into the union
10 states divided into 5 military districts, each controlled by a military commander until their new government was formed
guaranteed male African Americans the right to vote
banned Confederate leaders from political office

8. Johnson, as the commander-in-chief, controlled the military leaders controlling each district
Congress passed laws to limit his power like the Tenure of Office Act – kept President from removing government officials without Senate approval
Johnson fired Secretary of War while Congress was not in session and appointed unapproved generals to be Southern commanders
House accused him of misconduct and voted to impeach him
3 month impeachment trial
Who has supreme power – President or Congress?
1 vote short of required 2/3 to get him out of office
Stays in office until end of his term in 1869

9. 15th Amendment – prohibits any state or federal government from denying males the right to vote because of “race, color, or previous condition of servitude”