Plans of Reconstruction

Daniel Ramirez Mrs. Toth Period 2 11/29/12 Plans of Reconstruction During the Civil War was the beginning of the Reconstruction era that took place up until the late 1870’s, which for some was a success but a failure to others. Not only was it a civil rights movement but it also re-created the southern way of life, temporarily divided a political party, broke down another, and affected the nation in ways that would have long-term consequences.

Two of the three major Reconstruction plans were that of President Lincoln and Vice President Johnson that both sought to readmit the south as quickly as possible. Lincoln maintained that the political leadership of the South had seceded. His plan did not exclude people like Johnson’s did. President Lincolns plan of reconstruction was light on punishment of the South so that he could reincorporate the Southern section back into the Union.

He argued that because of the fact that the government was indivisible secession was politically impossible, and that the war was a result of only a small rebellion that violated the authority and laws of the government. With this in mind his design of reconstruction; readmission of each state was based on 10 percent of the voters pledging loyalty to the US knowing that no more than that would be probable which rendered the radical republicans 50 percent demand illogical.

Though Lincoln and Johnson’s plan did have similar ideas there were few differences some of which were even seen as illogical, amongst them was the right to grant pardons to the same people that he claimed he wanted to exclude power from. This did not help the reconstruction plan it in fact it irritated Northerners who saw senators of former offices in the Confederacy reclaiming their places in U. S. senates. Under Andrew Johnson’s restoration African America’s rights were not safe, as he vetoed the Civil Rights bill.

This did not pass since Congress overturned his veto and made the Civil Rights bill an act. Lincoln’s “10 percent” plan, while perhaps not the greatest for bringing the nation together, was the best for the promoting the principles of freedom and equal rights for all in the newly reformed union. His plan unlike Johnson’s protected the new rights of the African Americans, and provided a balance between the rights of whites and them.

Lincoln’s plan also made it easier for states to rejoin the Union, because this was such a very forgiving plan, it was better than Johnsons’. Under Lincoln’s Plan, it would be easiest for Confederate states to rejoin the Union, except for the three that were excluded, because the Radical controlled Congress would not permit these states’ representatives to join the federal government. If the nation had agreed to Lincoln’s Plan, racism may have been more easily overcome, and the Union would be reunited in a strong bond because of the reprieve granted.