The Presidential Reconstruction was a continuation of what Abraham Lincoln left off. Based on most of the fundamental ideas of Lincoln's Ten-Percent Plan, Andrew Johnson agreed that the southern states really never left the Union. He started his Presidential Reconstruction while Congress was in recess, and wanted to reunite the Southerners and restore the Union within a short period of time.
This was his plan:
Similar to the Ten-Percent Plan, Andrew Johnson's Presidential Reconstruction was too lenient towards the Southerners. Most people in the North, wanted the South to pay for its deed they had committed, such as seceding from the Union, and assassinating Abraham Lincoln. They wanted the South to suffer, however Johnson's plan gave most of the Reconstruction power to the individual states. With this, the planter elites were again once in control of the Southern governments, and the former Southern governments before the war appeared before the Union again.
After Johnson agreed that the southern states have met his conditions on the Reconstruction and closed the Reconstruction, many southerners now sought to new laws to help overlap the 13th Amendment. Starting with the Black Codes, it helped preserve slavery as much as it could. African Americans were citizens, but with very limited freedoms, compared to the white southerners.
When Congress convened back, they were furious for what Andrew Johnson had done. They denied southerners any position within Congress, and quickly established the Joint Committee on Reconstruction. Congress wanted to devise stricter requirements before the southern states could be readmitted back to the Union. This is when the Radical Reconstruction starts to take place...
Below is a video that gives an overview of the Presidential Reconstruction and Johnson's Plans
This was his plan:
- Returned confiscated property from white southerners
- Handed out pardons to former Confederates
- Appointed governors that would assist in drafting new state constitution
- Asked each state to ratify the 13th amendment
Similar to the Ten-Percent Plan, Andrew Johnson's Presidential Reconstruction was too lenient towards the Southerners. Most people in the North, wanted the South to pay for its deed they had committed, such as seceding from the Union, and assassinating Abraham Lincoln. They wanted the South to suffer, however Johnson's plan gave most of the Reconstruction power to the individual states. With this, the planter elites were again once in control of the Southern governments, and the former Southern governments before the war appeared before the Union again.
After Johnson agreed that the southern states have met his conditions on the Reconstruction and closed the Reconstruction, many southerners now sought to new laws to help overlap the 13th Amendment. Starting with the Black Codes, it helped preserve slavery as much as it could. African Americans were citizens, but with very limited freedoms, compared to the white southerners.
When Congress convened back, they were furious for what Andrew Johnson had done. They denied southerners any position within Congress, and quickly established the Joint Committee on Reconstruction. Congress wanted to devise stricter requirements before the southern states could be readmitted back to the Union. This is when the Radical Reconstruction starts to take place...
Below is a video that gives an overview of the Presidential Reconstruction and Johnson's Plans