Reconstruction
By: Cameron Bunch
Thaddeus Stevens
Thaddeus Stevens was a member of the US House of Representatives and one of the leaders of the Radical Republicans in the 1860s. He was fiercely opposed to slavery and discrimination against African Americans. He sought to secure their rights during reconstruction. He also played a major role in the war's financing.
Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson was the 17th president of the United States. He became president as he was vice president at the time of President Abraham Lincoln's assassination. The new president favored quick restoration of the seceded states to the Union. His plans did not give protection to the former slaves, and he came into conflict with the Republican-dominated Congress, causing his impeachment by the House of Representatives.
14th Amendment
The Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution was adopted on July 9, 1868 as one of the Reconstruction Amendments. The amendment addresses citizenship and equal rights protection of the laws. This amendment was proposed in response to issues related to former slaves following the American Civil War. The 14th amendment was protested mostly by Southern states, but they were forced to ratify it in order for them to regain representation in Congress.
Freedmen's Bureau
The Freedmen's Bureau was a U.S. federal government agency that aided distressed freedmen during the Reconstruction era. The Freemen's Bureau Bill, which established the Freedmen's Bureau on March 3, 1865, was initiated by Abraham Lincoln. The Freedmen's Bureau was an important agency of the early Reconstruction, assisting freedmen in the South. The Bureau was part of the United States Department of War. It was headed by Union Army General Oliver O. Howard.