Compare Lincoln's, Johnson's, and the Congressional Reconstruction Plans.

After the Civil War, there were many different plans for the reconstruction of the South.

Lincoln had a detailed plan that he wanted to enact, but he was assassinated before he was able to do so. His plan was known as the Ten-Percent Plan, because it was focused on putting parts of the country back together in unity as peacefully and seamlessly as possible, requiring only ten percent of the residents in former Confederate states to sign an oath to the new government in order to rejoin the Union. He also wanted to be lenient towards those who had fought for the Confederacy and those who had supported them (with the exception of the highest ranking officials), by granting everyone amnesty. He worried that if full pardons were not offered, southerners would not support new governments and would be against rejoining the Union at all. He was focused on how to create a “peaceful” Union as quickly as possible and not necessarily worried about how to create a more equitable America.

After Lincoln was assassinated, his Southern Democratic vice president, Andrew Johnson, became the leader of the Union. Unlike Lincoln, Johnson wanted to grant full pardons to all high-ranking Confederate officials. He wanted new state governments to officially ratify the Thirteenth Amendment, but, much like Lincoln’s plan, Johnson was not very interested in creating more equitable institutions for newly freed slaves. He was more focused on reestablishing the Union as quickly as possible. Under his plan, segregationist policies eventually took over the south, such as the Jim Crow laws and Black Codes. These systems allowed white supremacy to dominate, oppressing African Americans for the next century.

Meanwhile, Radical Republicans in Congress wanted to enact a plan that would give blacks the same political rights and economic opportunities that whites enjoyed. Radical Reconstruction, also known as Congressional Reconstruction, was the push by a Radical Republican block in the congress to create their own plan for the South. Radical Republicans wanted to punish those who had supported the Confederacy, especially high ranking officials, in distinct contrast to Johnson’s sweeping pardons. The Radical Republican Congress passed the Wade-Davis Bill in 1964, requiring that 50% of residents in former Confederate states would have to swear allegiance and loyalty to the Union before the state was admitted back into the Union.

Johnson vehemently opposed the plan and vetoed it, including integral parts such as the Freedmen’s Bureau Bill and the Civil Rights Bill. The Freedman’s Bureau was designed to help newly freed slaves by giving them temporary shelter, food, jobs, farm land, education, and other necessities for economic and political growth. Johnson believed the bureau was giving blacks “too much assistance” and relied too heavily on “military in peacetime” to be efficient in the long-run.

In 1877, Republicans and Democrats in the Congress made a congressional bargain to elect Republican candidate Rutherford B. Hayes as president. In order to allow him to be the president, Republicans agreed to withdraw U.S. Army troops from South Carolina, Louisiana, and Florida, effectively making it impossible to enforce the critical Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments.

Overall, Reconstruction was a failure as can be seen by the South’s long legacy of Black Codes and Jim Crow Laws.

What are the similarities and differences between Lincoln's, Johnson's, and Congress's Reconstruction plans?

The Lincoln, Johnson, and Congress Reconstruction plans were similar in that they all sought to restore the Union to the pre-war period.

• The three plans required oaths of loyalty to be taken by those seeking pardon.
• High Confederate officials were barred from being granted pardons.
• Each state was required to abolish slavery and comply with the prevailing law.

The differences between the Lincoln, Johnson, and Congress Reconstruction plans include:

• Although both the Lincoln and Johnson plan were open to readmission of the southern States, Congress claimed that the two administrations were too lenient and sought stiffer punishment for the States.
• Congress rejected representatives accepted by the Lincoln and Johnson plans.

Johnson’s plan was similar to Lincoln's. He was hoping to achieve what his predecessor had set in motion. However, Congress remained strongly opposed to both plans in trying to assert their authority and interests.

There were several plans for Reconstruction. I will explain each plan so you can identify the similarities and differences. The plans were different because each person or group proposing the plan had different objectives. For example, President Lincoln want to heal the country yet be sure some of the factors leading to the Civil War didn’t occur again. President Johnson was from the South. Some people felt that impacted his plan. Congress wanted to have a plan that was harsher on the South. Some in Congress, the Radical Republicans, really wanted to punish the South.

Lincoln’s Plan was known as the Ten Percent Plan. It required ten percent of the voters to pledge to be loyal to the United States. New constitutions would have to end slavery. Forgiveness would be offered to white southerners who agreed to be loyal to the United States. This provision didn’t include the former leaders of the Confederacy.

The Wade-Davis Bill was a plan proposed by Congress. It required 50% of white southerners to be loyal to our country. In the new state constitutions that would be written, slavery would be illegal. Former leaders of the Confederacy couldn’t hold office.

President Johnson had a plan because he believed the President should direct the Reconstruction process. Southerners would be forgiven and get their property back if they agreed to be loyal to the United States. The leaders of the Confederacy had to ask the President directly for forgiveness. New state constitutions would be written. Slavery would be illegal, and secession wouldn’t be allowed in these newly written constitutions.

The Radical Republicans in Congress had a plan that was quite harsh on the South. They wanted to give African-American males the right to vote. They wanted to prevent the former leaders of the Confederacy from voting. They also planned to give slaves land by taking it from the plantation owners. They also provide funding for schools. The 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments were part of their plan. Slavery was illegal with the 13th amendment. All people born in the United States would be citizens of the United States was part of the 14th amendment. With the 15th amendment, people couldn’t be denied voting rights based on their race or color. The military was also in charge of Reconstruction in the South.

Eventually, it was the harsher Radical Republican plan that prevailed and became the plan of Reconstruction in the South.

What are the major differences between President Lincoln’s and Congress’s Reconstruction plans?

There were basically 3 plans for Reconstruction, Lincoln’s plan, Johnson’s plan, and the Radical Republican plan.

Lincoln’s plan was known as the 10% Plan. It was simple. With a few exceptions, Lincoln offered pardons to any Confederate who swore allegiance to the Union and the Constitution.  When the number of people who took an oath of allegiance equaled 10% of the number of voters who participated in the election of 1860, the state would be readmitted to the Union after organizing a new state government which abolished slavery.  Lincoln was assassinated before this plan could be put into effect.

Johnson’s plan was also lenient towards the southern states.  He would grant pardons to anyone taking a loyalty oath to the U.S. except for high ranking Confederate political and military leaders, and people owning property worth more than $20,000. States would be readmitted to the Union once they created a new state government that abolished slavery, repealed the state’s ordinance of secession, and repudiated Confederate debts.  This was put into effect when Congress was in recess.  Johnson’s Plan did not really address the fortunes of newly freed slaves and southern states began to pass “black codes”, or laws which severely limited the civil rights of freedmen. When Congress reconvened, it refused to recognize Johnson’s plan by refusing to seat any person elected to Congress from any former Confederate state. It then began to pass its own laws concerning the southern states.

The Congressional Plan, or Radical Republican Plan, was meant to aid newly freed slaves (known as freedmen) and to punish the South.  It first passed several laws helping newly freed slaves, such as The Civil Rights Act (whose provisions would later be found in the 14th Amendment).  It also extended the life of the Freedmen’s Bureau.  It then passed a series of laws known as The Reconstruction Acts.  These laws were vetoed by Johnson, but the vetoes were easily overridden and these laws were put into effect.  The Reconstruction Acts basically divided the South into 5 military districts with the military commander of the district given complete authority.  No state would be allowed back into the Union until it ratified the 14th Amendment and guaranteed the right to vote for African American men. And later, for some states, the 15th Amendment had to be ratified, too.  The 14th Amendment punished Confederate supporters and gave citizenship to former slaves.  It also said that no state could deny to anyone, including African Americans, the equal protection of the law and due process of law.  The 15th amendment stated that the right to vote could not be denied on the basis of race.  Eventually all states were readmitted under this plan.

What were the Reconstruction plans of Congress, Lincoln, and Johnson?

There were basically 3 plans for Reconstruction, Lincoln’s plan, Johnson’s plan, and the Radical Republican plan.

Lincoln’s plan was known as the 10% Plan. It was simple. With a few exceptions, Lincoln offered pardons to any Confederate who swore allegiance to the Union and the Constitution.  When the number of people who took an oath of allegiance equaled 10% of the number of voters who participated in the election of 1860, the state would be readmitted to the Union after organizing a new state government which abolished slavery.  Lincoln was assassinated before this plan could be put into effect.

Johnson’s plan was also lenient towards the southern states.  He would grant pardons to anyone taking a loyalty oath to the U.S. except for high ranking Confederate political and military leaders, and people owning property worth more than $20,000. States would be readmitted to the Union once they created a new state government that abolished slavery, repealed the state’s ordinance of secession, and repudiated Confederate debts.  This was put into effect when Congress was in recess.  Johnson’s Plan did not really address the fortunes of newly freed slaves and southern states began to pass “black codes”’ or laws which severely limited the civil rights of freedmen. When Congress reconvened, it refused to recognize Johnson’s plan by refusing to seat any person elected to Congress from any former Confederate state. It then began to pass its own laws concerning the southern states.

The Congressional Plan, or Radical Republican Plan, was meant to aid newly freed slaves (known as freedmen) and to punish the South.  It first passed several laws helping newly freed slaves, such as The Civil Rights Act (whose provisions would later be found in the 14th Amendment).  It also extended the life of the Freedmen’s Bureau.  It then passed a series of laws known as The Reconstruction Acts.  These laws were vetoed by Johnson, but the vetoes were easily overridden and these laws were put into effect.  The Reconstruction Acts basically divided the South into 5 military districts with the military commander of the district given complete authority.  No state would be allowed back into the Union until it ratified the 14th Amendment and guaranteed the right to vote for African American men. And later, for some states, the 15th Amendment had to be ratified, too.  The 14th Amendment punished Confederate supporters and gave citizenship to former slaves.  It also said that no state could deny to anyone, including African Americans, the equal protection of the law and due process of law.  The 15th amendment stated that the right to vote could not be denied on the basis of race.  Eventually all states were readmitted under this plan.