During the Reconstruction after the Civil War, the United States had to face the reprocussions from the war such as buildings, farmlands, agricultures and railroads were destroyed, the slaves were now freedmen, southern states were allowed to rejoin the Union, the plans to be done about the ex-confederates and so much more. During this time, two presidents came up with the plans to do about these reprocussions.
The first president who came up with the plan was Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth president. The plan was issued on December 8, 1863. His plan was to give pardons to any one who committed crimes which included ex-confederates who would swear allegiance to the Union and take an oath. However the plan excluded the confederate military and government officals and those who had killed African American prisoners of war. For statehood, the state must create a new Constitution, endorse the Thirteenth Amendment and 10% of the number of people voted in the 1860 election must take oath. To the Radical Republican Congress, this plan was too moderate thus created the Wade-Davis Bill which required 50 % of the state male voters to take oath. Lincoln pocket-vetoed the bill and was about to enforce his plan until he was assassinated in 1865.
Another plan was created and it was Andrew Johnson's. Johnson's plan was issued on May 29, 1856. His plan included pardons which anyone who will take oath to the Union, there was no exception or exclusion. For statehood, the states will have to create a new constitution, have to void secession, abolish slavery, ratify the Thirteenth Amendment and stop payments on war debts. During Johnson's presidency, the black codes were enacted in the south. Since Johnson's plan didn't include the freedmen, Radical Republicans tried to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1866 but Johnson vetoed it.
Now, there is one more plan but it wasn't issued by Lincoln or Johnson but the Radical Republican party. Their plan was to also include the rights given to the freedmen. Thus the Radical Republicans issued the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments. Also in their plan, it was to remove ex-confederates from Congress, issued the Military Reconstruction Act of 1867, for the statehood; the states were required to give equal rights for all and allowing the freedmen to vote, and the ratifications of both Thirteenth and Fourteenth Amendments.
Thus, we have all three plans for the Reconstruction but there is one that I believe is the best and the most effective. It is the Radical Republicans' plan because they provided the rights of the freedmen while the other two didn't which led to the racial equality today. If it wasn't for their plan, the society we know today wouldn't exist.
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2 comments:
ISABEL!
WOW I'M THE FIRST TO COMMENT YOUR BLOG. FIRST I WANT TO START BY SAYING YOUR BLOG WAS VERY INTERESTING. I LIKE HOW YOU MENTION THE UNITED STATES HAD TO FACE REPROCUSSION FROM THE WAR. THEN YOU GAVE EXAMPLES TO BACK WHAT YOU SAID UP. THAT WAS SMART. BUT I ALSO ENJOY READING WHEN YOUR WROTE LINCOLN'S PLAN . I FORGOT THAT HE WAS TO GIVE PARDONS TO ANY ONE WHO COMMITTED CRIMES. JUST READING YOUR BLOG YOU REMINDED ME OF ANOTHER THING THAT LINCOLNS PLAN HAD INCLUDED. I DIDN'T KNOW THAT WADE DAVIS BILL HAD 50% OF THE STATE MALE VOTERS TO TAKE OATH. BUT LINCOLN HAD POCKET VETOED THE BILL AND WAS ABOUT TO ENFORCE HIS PLAN BUT HE WAS ASSASSINATED IN 1865. THAT WAS A WONDERFUL BLOG TO READ IT WAS REALLY TEACHING ME SOME NEW THINGS AND REMINDING ME ABOUT THE OLD THINGS I HAD FORGOT.
Hey Isabel. You raeally know how to write. I like your blog and found it very interesting. It was well worded also. I like how you discussed Lincolns plan, and Johsons plan. I liked how you compared them both. I honestly didn't like neither one of the plans especially Johsons. He took everything away from everyone especially blacks. Then you had Lincoln who tried to pardon everything. Though Lincoln was the better president. I learned something new by reading your blog. Well done!
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