Civil War Reconstruction
Shania Wendland
Plans for Reconstruction
Wade-Davis Bill: Senator Wade and Congressman Davis proposed this bill in 1864. This bill called for 50% of the total number of voters in the election of 1860 to take an oath of allegiance. Meaning that they swore that they had never voluntarily aided in the rebellion. This required a state constitutional convention before the election of state officials. Lincoln soon vetoed the Wade-Davis Bill.
President Andrew Johnson: This plan was referred to as the 10% plus plan. Under Johnson's plan amnesty was given to all confederate civil and military officers with property over $20,000. He wanted to put into effect a new constitution as a way to over rule the confrontations. Johnson believed that Provisional governors should oversee the constitutional conventions in the confederate states as a way to prevent confrontation. The effects of Johnson's plan were as follows;
1.) No right to vote for certain leading confederates
2.)Pardoned planter aristocrats and brought them back to have political power including within state organizations
3.) The Republicans were feuding that aristocrats were allowed to maintain power once again in the south
Andrew Johnson's actions soon led to confrontation which in turn led to his presidential impeachment.
Congress: Congress's plan believed in creating equality for the African Americans. Although they were not granted the right to vote, congress wanted to provide as much equality for them as possible, this soon turned into discrimination. Congress wanted to continue to keep former confederates out of office or keep there involvement in the government as little as possible. Reconstruction was thought of to be a "practical" way of restoring the Southern states to reunite into the Union. Radical republicans were very much involved in congressional reconstruction.
Civil Rights Amendments
14th Amendment: Ratified in July of 1868. The fourteenth amendment provided a constitutional guarantee of the rights and security of freed people; granting them citizenship. It denied the right of voting to the African American citizens.
15th Amendment: Ratified in 1870. This amendment granted the right for African American Men to vote.