Era Of Reconstruction Essay

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The era of Reconstruction played a vital key in healing the nation’s wounds that were attained after the Civil War. This period started in 1865 and was brought to an end in 1877. The main goal was to bring the whole nation as one united again. Yet, the main point of Reconstruction was to rebuild the south physically, socially, and economically. Some issues that the period involved were focused around the 11 ex-Confederate states and the 4 million ex-slaves, also known as “Freedmen”. The questions about these issues formed the basis of the 12-year Reconstruction. During the Reconstruction era, the three political players and their definition of this period varied vastly from one another. On one hand, the Democrats and the ex-Confederates wanted…show more content…
In 1863, Lincoln presented the “Ten Percent Plan”, which was meant to grant readmission with oath by 10% of 1860 voters. Most Moderate Republicans supported President Abraham Lincoln’s plan of immediate restoration, because they wanted to bring a quick end to the war. The Radical Republicans, however, opposed President Lincoln’s plan for Reconstruction, because they thought it was too lenient on the south, and not harsh enough. The Radicals also maintained that Congress, not President Lincoln, should supervise the reconstruction plan. Therefore, Congress pushed for the Wade-Davis Bill in 1864, proposed by two Radical Republicans, Henry W. Davis and Benjamin Wade. The bill made readmission possible only with the “Iron Clad Oath” by 51% of all eligible voters. However, President Lincoln wanted to mend the Union by carrying out his Ten Percent Plan, so he pocket vetoed the Wade-Davis Bill. The Radical Republicans and Congress were outraged by this. Then in 1865, many important changes were brought to the era of Reconstruction, such as the 13th Amendment and the Freedmen’s Bureau were established. The 13th Amendment abolished slavery, and the Freedmen’s Bureau was made to help former slaves and poor whites in the south. Also in 1865, President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated and succeeded by Vice President Andrew Johnson, who was a

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