The Presidential and the Congressional Reconstruction Plans - Essay Example

s The Reconstruction Era The reconstruction era is very important in the history of America. It refers in one sense to the reconstruction that was from the year 1865 to 1977 after the civil war. In another aspect, it refers to the reconstruction of the Southern United States between 1863 and 1877. This essay will focus on the history of the reconstruction of America after the civil war that began in 1863 with the emancipation clause by President Abraham Lincoln. It was not easy for the leaders to decide whether or not to punish the South for the Civil war. It was even harder because the radical Republicans did not agree with President Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson on softer terms of bringing back the South to the Union. The Liberal Republicans were of the opinion that those whites who had not held onto the ideologies of the union should not have had their rights restored. The presidential and the Congressional reconstruction plans It was still during the civil war that President Abraham Lincoln made plans to reconstruct the Union. The president first made sure that the union armies conquered the large sections of Tennessee and that this state was under the control of the national government. After this is when he moved to put his plan into action. From his second inaugural address, it was clear that Abraham Lincoln thought it better to approach the matter soberly and not punish the south. His plan focused on all including the South that had born the battle. In 1863, Abraham Lincoln appointed Andrew Johnson to govern the state of Tennessee to serve as a model state for the south. The president then asked the voters of Tennessee to at least have 10% of them taking an oath to uphold the constitution. When this oath was taken, all persons save for the highest officers in the confederate army would be pardoned for their contribution to the war. The rights of the citizens would also be restored except for the slaves. The president also required that the states that would be reconstructed to ratify the Thirteenth Amendment. This amendment abolished slavery. This, the president called it the ‘new birth of freedom.’ He was however worried that this would not be received well by the whites in the south. He was of the opinion that, just like the white people, the black people were American citizens (Murrin 463) Due to the differences in ideology between Lincoln and the congress, in July 1864, there was the first direct clash. The congress passed the Wade-Davis bill and adjourned shortly after passing the bill. For Lincoln to continue with his reconstruction plan, he vetoed it by failing to sign the bill into law. It is in this year that he appointed Andrew Johnson as his presidential running mate. He did this to show his commitment towards the union unification. This proved to be a good deal as it helped him triumph in the elections where he was re-elected. Lincoln under his reconstruction plan, brought Tennessee, Arkansas, and Louisiana back into the union. He later visited the city of Richmond, Virginia where he personally addressed the rebel leaders about the reconstruction. Unfortunately, five days after this address, while watching a play at the Ford’s theater, John Wilkes Booth shot Lincoln. Wilkes was later trapped and killed while he tried to escape. In the early morning of 15th April 1865, the president succumbed to the injuries having not regained his consciousness. This sudden death of President Abraham Lincoln saw Andrew Johnson take over the presidency. The congress then visited the new president to enquire about his plans on reconstruction. Johnson assured then of his support which meant that those who had supported the war would not be pardoned and the black people would be enfranchised which were the goals of the congress. However, on May 29 1865, Johnson offered a blanket pardon for the confederates. The only exception he allowed were the rich confederates who had to go and ask for pardon personally. Johnson also appointed a provisional governor for North Carolina with instructions that an election should be held. In this election, only the whites who had taken the oath would be allowed to vote. This policy excluded the blacks from voting to the dismay of the radical republicans who felt that this would lead to another uprising from the freed slaves. The dispute between the president and the congress These differences between the radical republicans and the president led to the clash between the congress and President Johnson. Two strong measures were taken up by the senate and the House. The first measure was through the Freedmen’s Bureau Act. This Act extended the time for the agency that catered for the welfare of the freedmen by giving them shelter, food, advice and medical care. Most white southerners did not support this bureau as they claimed that it encouraged the freedmen to leave their masters. The president was also of the same view, and he argued that the government should not give its assistance to every needy person in the minority. Just like Lincoln had done, Johnson vetoed this bill. The second measure was through the Civil Rights Act that declared the equality of all persons born in America. It declared that as a result, they were all citizens of the states in which they lived and citizens of the United States. No state could, therefore, deny any person their rights. Johnson vetoed this bill too by arguing that in no instance should the national government interfere with the rights that had previously been exercised by the states. Johnson defended his actions by claiming that he was executing Abraham Lincoln’s reconstruction plan. The congress stated that it was implementing the objectives of the civil war of allowing freedom for the African-Americans. The congress felt that Johnson would take the freedmen back to their masters while Johnson felt that if the state went the way the congress wanted, then this would bar the reunification of the Union. On April 30 1866, a special committee that had been set up presented to the Congress the proposed amendments to the constitution. These amendments were referred to as the fourteenth amendment. The congress through a majority vote agreed with the amendments which were then taken to the states to ratify. The first section of this amendment emphasized on the equality for all. In the second section, the states had the option of enfranchising the black males or lose their majority seats in the congress. The third section disqualified a good number of ex-confederates from holding state offices. This fourteenth amendment was a hit back against Johnson for vetoes the two previous measures. Using the 1866 elections, the republicans were able to stamp their authority and take control of the policy. They were able to enfranchise the blacks and remove former confederates from power. In 1867, the congress then began the radical reconstruction. In this year, the congress removed the civilian government in the south and placed it under the leadership of the U.S army. The army then conducted elections where the freedmen could vote. It barred the whites who had held office under the confederacy from voting temporarily and from running for office. On February 24 1868, the congress impeached President Johnson for violating the tenure of office Act by removing secretary of war Edwin M. Stanton from office. He was later acquitted by the Senate when the congress failed to show that he had committed any wrong to deserve the impeachment. The end of the reconstruction In 1877, the reconstruction came to an end. By this time, the republicans were losing their influence and the people from the north had become weary of trying to reform the South. The congress passed the Amnesty Act in 1872 that reinstated the voting rights of the white southerners, and by 1876, almost all the elective posts in the South had reverted back to the democrats. With the elections in that year, there was no clear victory for neither Samuel Tilden, a Democrat, nor Rutherford B. Hayes, a Republican. As a result, a congressional commission was set up. The two parties reached a compromise and the republican candidate was declared winner with a promise of putting to an end the reconstruction. Hayes in 1877 ended the reconstruction era by removing the remaining federal troops from the South. After this period was over, things almost reverted to the same way they were. With the Jim Crow Laws, the African-Americans began to be segregated again. This was reiterated by the Supreme Court in the case of Plessy v. Fergurson. The African-Americans once again became victims of injustices as before. Works Cited Murrin, John, M.. Liberty, Equality Power: A History of the American People, Volume 2 since 1863. 6th Ed. Australia: Wadsworth/ Cengage Learning, 2012. Print. Foner, Eric. Reconstruction: America’s unfinished revolution, 1863-1867. New York: Perennial Classics, 2002. Print. Read More