6.2 Reconstruction Plan

Reconstruction Plan under President Andrew Johnson

Lincoln's Assassination and Johnson's Ascension

  • On April 14, 1865, John Wilkes Booth, a Southern sympathizer, shot President Abraham Lincoln at Ford's Theater.
  • Booth's initial plan was to kidnap Lincoln and members of his cabinet.
  • Lincoln died on April 15, 1865, and Vice President Andrew Johnson was sworn into office.

Andrew Johnson's Background

  • Born into a poor family in North Carolina.
  • Apprenticed as a tailor and later opened his own business.
  • Served as governor of Tennessee and as a U.S. Senator.
  • The only senator from a Confederate state to remain loyal to the Union.
  • Chosen as Republican Lincoln's running mate in 1864 to unify the ticket and appeal to border states.

Johnson's Reconstruction Plan

  • Initially appeared similar to Lincoln's "Ten Percent Plan".
  • Offered presidential pardons to wealthy Southerners and former Confederate officials.
  • By 1866, Johnson had pardoned over 7,000 people, including Southern political and military leaders.
  • Other Southern citizens had to take an oath of allegiance to the U.S. for a blanket pardon and citizenship.
  • States were to set up new governments by:
    • Appointing a temporary governor.
    • Rewriting their constitutions to forbid slavery.
    • Electing new state and federal representatives.

Required Actions by Southern States

  • Pass a resolution declaring secession illegal.
  • Ratify the Thirteenth Amendment, which abolished slavery.
  • Refuse to pay Confederate debts.
  • Johnson acted independently while Congress was not in session.

Initial Readmission of Confederate States

  • By the fall of 1865, all former Confederate states except Texas had seemingly met the requirements.
  • Johnson declared the United States restored and readmitted them to the Union.

Congressional Resistance

  • Newly elected Southern senators and congressmen, many of whom were former Confederate leaders (e.g., Alexander Stephens, Vice President of the Confederacy), were refused seating in Congress.
  • Congress refused to fully readmit the states.

Black Codes and Racial Segregation

  • New state governments passed laws known as Black Codes.
  • These laws restricted the freedom of freed slaves and established racial segregation.
  • Example: South Carolina's Black Codes designated African Americans as "servants" and whites as "masters" in contracts; resembling slavery under a new name.

Johnson's Conflicts with Congress

  • Johnson vetoed the bill establishing the Freedmen's Bureau because it allowed military courts to try those accused of violating African Americans' rights.
  • Congress overrode Johnson's veto on April 9, 1866.
  • The Civil Rights Act of 1866 granted African Americans the same rights as whites, including owning land, making contracts, and engaging in law.
  • Johnson opposed the Fourteenth Amendment, objecting to equal rights for African Americans.

Johnson's Perspective vs. Radical Republicans

  • Johnson believed the past should be forgiven and the country should move forward.
  • He was willing to allow states to elect former Confederate leaders.
  • Radical Republicans in Congress disagreed with Johnson and they would clash throughout his presidency.

Contextual Details

  • John Wilkes Booth was present when Lincoln spoke about African American voting rights and was infuriated by Lincoln's words.
  • Before becoming president, Johnson claimed to support African American rights, even freeing his own slaves in 1863.
  • Johnson stated, "a loyal Negro is more worthy than a disloyal white man."
  • However, as president, Johnson vetoed civil rights legislation.