Somebody ... Wanted ... But ... So ... President Abraham Lincoln the nation to heal as quickly as possible from the Civil War and planned to reunify the nation quickly he was assassinated in 1865 only days after Robert E. Lee’s surrender plans for Reconstruction were taken over by Vice President Andrew Johnson, who became president after Lincoln’s death President Andrew Johnson To stop Congress Republicans in Congress were able to override the president's vetoes President Johnson vetoed the bill, but Congress overrode that veto and made it law and Congress brought impeachment charges against Johnson in early 1868. Radical Republicans To Change Reconstruction policy. President Johnson vetoed the plan Congress also passed (through override) the tenure of office act. Southern Democrats To take major control in Southern state legislatures They were losing the election Hayes received all 20 electoral votes, giving him the 185 needed to win. from taking over Reconstruction The main issue relating to Reconstruction that divided Republicans at the end of the Civil War was two opposing opinions. The Radical Republicans, members of Congress during the time of the Civil war and the Reconstruction period, wanted to end slavery forever and pass laws granting equal rights to all blacks. They wanted to make sure the South would not return to its pre-Civil War ways. The Radicals Republicans also believed that the South needed to be punished for the devastation and loss of life. Other Republicans, while also wanting to end slavery, thought differently. Many leaders thought they should make it easy for the South to reunite with the Union. President Abraham Lincoln was among those. He wanted the nation to heal and believed the sooner the better. If I was a member of Congress at the time of the Reconstruction I would support President Lincoln’s plan to reunited and heal the nation. I feel that at that time the country has gone through so much that we would all need to more forward in a positive direction.