Presidential Reconstruction was the post-Civil War effort led by Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson to reintegrate former Confederate states into the Union. It involved debates over constitutional authority, the Ten Percent Plan, the Wade-Davis Bill, and Johnson's lenient policies. Congressional opposition led to the Civil Rights Act of 1866 and Johnson's impeachment, transitioning to Radical Reconstruction.
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Presidential Reconstruction was the initial phase of rebuilding the United States after the Civil War, primarily led by Presidents Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson
Question of Legal Secession
The controversy centered on whether the former Confederate states had legally left the Union and whether their reintegration was a matter for Congress or the President to decide
Tension between Executive and Legislative Branches
The tension between the executive and legislative branches was evident early on, as seen in Lincoln's veto of the Wade-Davis Bill in 1864
Lincoln's veto of the Wade-Davis Bill highlighted his preference for a more lenient and rapid Reconstruction process, setting up a clash with the more punitive-minded members of Congress
Lincoln's Ten Percent Plan required only ten percent of the voting population in a rebel state to take an oath of allegiance to the Union and accept the abolition of slavery for the state to be readmitted
In addition to the loyalty oath, these states were to adopt new state constitutions that abolished slavery
Lincoln's veto of the Wade-Davis Bill set up a clash with the more punitive-minded members of Congress
Johnson's Reconstruction plan largely mirrored Lincoln's but went further in offering amnesty to many former Confederates upon simple oath-taking
Johnson appointed provisional governors to oversee the reintegration of the former Confederate states
Johnson's leniency towards former Confederate leaders and the enactment of restrictive Black Codes in the South quickly alienated Radical Republicans, setting the stage for a legislative showdown
Congress refused to seat Southern legislators and passed measures to protect the rights of freed people, including the extension of the Freedmen's Bureau and the Civil Rights Act of 1866
Impeachment of Edwin Stanton
Johnson's attempt to remove Secretary of War Edwin Stanton, a violation of the Tenure of Office Act, led to his impeachment by the House of Representatives
Failed Impeachment of Johnson
Johnson narrowly avoided removal from office by one vote in the Senate, but the impeachment proceedings significantly undermined his authority
The failed impeachment marked the effective end of Presidential Reconstruction and paved the way for the Radical Republicans in Congress to implement their vision for a more thorough and egalitarian Reconstruction
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The first stage of the United States' ______ after the Civil War was led by ______ and ______.
reconstruction
Abraham Lincoln
Andrew Johnson
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Lincoln's approach to Reconstruction
Moderate; 10% allegiance oath; quick state readmission; slavery abolition.
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Wade-Davis Bill's loyalty oath requirement
Majority of white males must swear loyalty; harsher than Lincoln's plan.
