During the era of Reconstruction (1865-1877), the federal government struggled with how to return the southern states to the Union, rebuild the South's ruined economy, and promote the rights of former slaves. Some argued that states should be allowed to rejoin the Union quickly with few conditions. But many claimed that the defeated states should first satisfy certain stipulations, such as swearing loyalty to the federal government and adopting state constitutions that guaranteed freedmen's rights.
President Lincoln wanted to readmit southern states as soon as ten percent of a state's voters took a loyalty oath to the Union.
"Radical Republicans" in Congress opposed this plan, insisting that the Confederates had committed crimes. Congress passed the Wade-Davis Bill in 1864. It required a majority of a state's prewar voters to swear loyalty before the state could be readmitted, and it demanded full equality for African Americans. Lincoln killed the bill with a "pocket veto." However, he supported the Freedmen's Bureau. Its goal was to provide food, clothing, healthcare, and education for both black and white refugees in the South.
Lincoln's assassination in April 1865 thrust his Vice President, Andrew Johnson, into the presidency. Johnson wanted to restore the political status of the southern states as quickly as possible. He did not want African Americans to have the vote and had little sympathy for their plight. All the southern states instituted black codes, laws that limited the rights of African Americans. When Congress sought to overturn them by passing the Civil Rights Act of 1866, Johnson vetoed it.
Violence against African Americans in the South increased. To protect freedmen's rights, Congress passed the Fourteenth
Amendment, which guaranteed equality under the law for all citi-
zens. The Military Reconstruction Act of 1867 divided the South into five military districts and set requirements for states to reenter the Union. A power struggle between Congress and the President con-tinued. The House of Representatives voted to impeach Johnson in
1865. He escaped being, removed from office by one vote. In 1869, the Fifteenth Amendment was passed. It forbids any state from denying suffrage on the grounds of race or color.
Review Questions
1. What were the main anals of the Kecon=tmction of the South?
READING CHE
What was the goal of t
Freedmen's Bureau?
VOCABULARY STRI
What does the word stip mean in the underlined s tence? Circle the word b that is a synonym for stipulstions.
• requirements
• tests
READING SKILL
Identily Main Ideas What
Congress do to protect the
al African Americans?
2. Discuss Johnson's relationship with Konna
1. The main goals of the Reconstruction of the South were to readmit the southern states to the Union, rebuild the South's economy, and promote the rights of former slaves.
2. The goal of the Freedmen's Bureau was to provide food, clothing, healthcare, and education for both black and white refugees in the South.
- Vocabulary: The word "stipulations" means requirements.
- Reading Skill: Congress passed the Fourteenth Amendment and the Civil Rights Act of 1866 to protect the rights of African Americans.
3. Johnson had a contentious relationship with Congress, as he opposed measures to protect the rights of African Americans and vetoed legislation such as the Civil Rights Act of 1866. Congress impeached him in 1865, but he was not removed from office.