Presidential Reconstruction

The Foundations of Presidential Reconstruction

Presidential Reconstruction was the initial phase of rebuilding the United States after the Civil War, primarily led by Presidents Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson. This period was marked by significant debate over the constitutional authority and proper process for readmitting the former Confederate states to the Union. The controversy centered on whether these states had ever legally left the Union and whether their reintegration was a matter for Congress or the President to decide. 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, which foreshadowed the contentious political struggles that would follow.

Lincoln's Ten Percent Plan and the Wade-Davis Bill

President Abraham Lincoln proposed a moderate approach to Reconstruction, known as the Ten Percent Plan, which 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. Additionally, these states were to adopt new state constitutions that abolished slavery. In contrast, the Wade-Davis Bill, passed by Congress but pocket-vetoed by Lincoln, demanded harsher terms, including a majority of white males taking a loyalty oath and permanent disenfranchisement of Confederate leaders. Lincoln's veto highlighted his preference for a more lenient and rapid Reconstruction process, setting up a clash with the more punitive-minded members of Congress.

Andrew Johnson's Presidential Reconstruction Policies

Following Lincoln's assassination, Andrew Johnson became president and swiftly implemented his own Reconstruction policies. Johnson's plan largely mirrored Lincoln's but went further in offering amnesty to many former Confederates upon simple oath-taking. He also appointed provisional governors and required the former Confederate states to invalidate their acts of secession, settle Confederate debts, and ratify the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery. While Johnson's policies initially found support among moderate Republicans, his 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.

Congressional Response and the Transition to Radical Reconstruction

The cooperative dynamic between President Johnson and Congress soured as the Southern states showed resistance to meaningful reform, particularly in their treatment of newly freed African Americans. The passage of Black Codes, aimed at controlling and limiting the freedoms of African Americans, and Johnson's pardoning of Confederate leaders prompted Congress to assert its authority. 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, both of which Johnson vetoed. Congress overrode his vetoes, signaling a decisive move toward Congressional, or Radical, Reconstruction.

The Impeachment of Andrew Johnson and the Conclusion of Presidential Reconstruction

President Johnson's resistance to Congressional Reconstruction efforts culminated in his attempt to remove Secretary of War Edwin Stanton, a violation of the Tenure of Office Act. This act, along with his broader obstruction of Reconstruction policies, led to his impeachment by the House of Representatives. 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.