Reconstruction
By: Jordan Whitt
Thaddeus Stevens
Thaddeus Stevens was member of the United States House of Representatives and one of the leaders of the Radical Republican Party. He was a fierce opponent of discrimination and slavery. His plans were too far for moderate Republicans, due to believing that slaves should not only be free, they should be given a stake in the South's future.
Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson became the 17th President of the United States after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. He was a Democrat who ran with Lincoln on the National Union ticket. He favored quick restoration of the seceded states but, did not give protection to former slaves. He was also the first president to be impeached, he was acquitted in the Senate by one vote. His idea of Reconstruction was different that Lincoln's, he wanted the South to pay.
Civil Rights Act of 1866
This act was the first United States federal law to define Us citizenship and affirmed that all citizens were equally protected by the law. It was mainly intended to protect the civil rights of African Americans. This legislation was enacted by Congress in 1865, but was vetoed by President Johnson. Even though Johnson vetoed it, Congress overcame it by a two-thirds vote.
Freedman's Bureau
The Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands, usually know as the Freedmen's Bureau was a federal government agency that aided freed slaves during the Reconstruction era of the United States. This bill was initiated by President Lincoln for the end of the Civil War. It was an important agency of the early Reconstruction by helping the freed men in the South. The Southerners response was the passing of the Black Codes, which greatly affected the rights of African Americans.