Reconstruction Writing - Assignment Example

Notably, President Lincoln wanted people to forgive one another and the defeated states to rejoin the Union immediately (“Houghton Mifflin Company” 1). Conversely, the Radical Republicans in Congress sought to change the South and protect the rights of African Americans (“Houghton Mifflin Company” 1). Ideally, the United States Congress passed four statutes known as Reconstruction Acts after the civil war, which sought to support Reconstruction by creating five military districts in the South (“Houghton Mifflin Company” 1).

Most specifically, President Lincoln assumed that the defeated states did not seceded from the Union and hence should suffer any punishment. Nevertheless, the Congress opposed his plan. Indeed, when Lincoln died, his successor, President Johnson adopted Lincoln’s plan to the dismay of the Congress. In the reconstruction plan, President Johnson pardoned all Southerners under oath and recognized the governments of defeated states (“Houghton Mifflin Company” 1). Indeed, by the end of 1865, only one Southern state lacked a new government and suffered from slavery.

Nevertheless, the results of the mid-term elections in 1866 eliminated the Presidential Reconstruction and instituted the Congressional Reconstruction as the Radical Republicans gained dominant control in both houses. . The Congress Reconstruction plan included the establishment of a Freedmen's Bureau to help freed slaves, enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1866 to protect the freed slaves from black codes, passing the 14th Amendment to protect the Civil Rights Act, and passing the Passage of Reconstruction Acts to bar defeated states from rejoining the Union.

More specifically, the Reconstruction plan guaranteed universal manhood suffrage, mandated public school systems, and established progressive tax structures. The Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Reconstruction Amendments to the United States Constitution sought to help in the implementation of the Reconstruction plan after the Civil war. The amendments empowered the national government over the states where the Thirteenth Amendment ended slavery, Fourteenth Amendment gave blacks full citizenship, and The Fifteenth Amendment recognized the right of African American men to vote (“Houghton Mifflin Company” 1).

Nevertheless, President Andrew Johnson attempted to veto Congress Reconstruction plans where the Congress had curtailed his powers through the Tenure of Office Act. However, President Andrew Johnson violated the restraining act, which propelled the Congress to impeach him (“Digital History” 1). Personally, the Congress Reconstruction plan is seemingly the best plan subject to its encouraging results. Indeed, under the Congress Reconstruction plan, black and white people were able to access public schools, homestead exemptions, and there was equal distribution of public resources (“Prentice Hall” 1).

Furthermore, although President Johnson’s plan was significant in appointing military governors to