What were Thaddeus Stevens’s plans for reintroducing Southern states during Reconstruction?
He wanted to pardon Southern military and political leaders.
He wanted to admit states when 10% of citizens had taken oaths of loyalty.
He wanted to punish the South for the Civil War.
He wanted to reincorporate the South gradually.
A?
No, option A is not correct. Thaddeus Stevens did not want to pardon Southern military and political leaders. He was a Radical Republican who strongly believed in holding the Southern states accountable for their actions during the Civil War.
Option B is also not correct. Thaddeus Stevens did not support the idea of admitting states when only 10% of citizens had taken oaths of loyalty. This lenient approach was proposed by President Abraham Lincoln, but Stevens opposed it as too forgiving towards the Southern states.
Option C is partially correct. Thaddeus Stevens did want to punish the South for the Civil War, but it does not fully capture his plans for reintroducing Southern states during Reconstruction.
The correct answer is option D. Thaddeus Stevens wanted to reincorporate the South gradually. He believed that the Southern states should not be readmitted to the Union until there was significant reform and protection of civil rights for African Americans. He advocated for strict measures such as the division of Confederate states into military districts, the guarantee of voting rights for African Americans, and the confiscation of land from wealthy Southern landowners to be distributed among former slaves. These measures were part of his plan to ensure that the South underwent a fundamental social and political transformation before rejoining the Union.