US History II - Reconstruction
Congressional Reconstruction
Johnson Takes Office
- assassination of Lincoln – dramatic changes to the politics
- vice president Andrew Johnson became president
- believed in moderate policy to bring South back into Union
- Johnson’s Plan
o summer of 1865 – restoration program – closely resembled Lincoln’s
o May 1865 – new Proclamation of Amnesty – offered to pardon all
former citizens of Confederacy – took an oath of loyalty to the Union
o excluded – former Confederate officers & officials – as well as those
who owned property more than $20,000
o former states met Johnson’s conditions
o Congress opened in Dec 1865 – Johnson’s plan underway – members
of Congress angered that former Confederates were members of
Congress – voted to reject them
- Black Codes
o Southern state legislatures passed a series of laws known as black
codes – severely limited African Americans’ rights in the South
o codes varied – intended to keep African Americans in a condition
similar to slavery – enraged Northerners
Radical Republicans Take Control
- election of former Confederates to office & intro of black codes convinced
many moderate Republicans to join the Radicals
- late 1865 – House & Senate Republicans created the Joint Committee on
Reconstruction  goal develop their own rebuilding plan for the Union
- The Fourteenth Amendment
o March 1866 – Congress passed Civil Rights Act of 1866
o granted citizenship to all persons born in the US except Native
Americans
o Fourteenth Amendment – granted citizenship to all persons born or
naturalized in the US & declared that no state could deprive any
person of life, liberty, or property “without due process of law”
- The Election of 1866
o Johnson attacked the 14th Amendment – made it a major issue of the
1866 congressional elections – wanted the Northern voters to turn
against the Radical Republicans – elect a new majority
1
US History II - Reconstruction
-
-
-
-
o Republicans won a three to one majority in Congress
Military Reconstruction
o March 1867 – Military Reconstruction Act passed – got rid of
Johnson’s plan
o divided former Confederacy into 5 military districts (except Tenn. 
ratified 14th Amendment) – Union generals placed in charge of them
o new state constitutions had to give the right to vote to all adult male
citizens – regardless of their race
o had to ratify the 14th before they could elect members to Congress
o end of 1868 – 6 states met all requirements – NC, SC, Fl, Al, LA, AK
Impeachment
o Republicans had enough votes to override any veto – also felt they
had the support of Sec of War Stanton & General Grant
o Command of Army Act – required all orders from president to go thru
headqrters of general of the army
o Tenure of Office Act – required the Senate to approve the removal of
any gov’t official – whose appointment had required Senate’s consent
o Johnson fired Stanton on Feb 21, 1868 –refused to leave his office
o Feb 24 – House of Representatives voted to impeach Johnson – had
broken the law by refusing to uphold Tenure of Office Act – removed
four commanders in Southern military districts  undermining
Reconstruction program
o on trial – on May 16, 1868 – Senate voted 35 to 19 – one vote short of
what was needed to impeach him
The Election of 1868
o candidate for Republicans – General Grant
o ongoing violence in South
o presence of Union troops in south enabled African Americans to vote
in large numbers
o Grant won 6 southern states & most northern states
The Fifteenth Amendment
o Radical Republicans moved quickly on their reconstruction plan
o 15th – declared the right to vote “shall not be denied…on account of
race, color, or previous condition of servitude”
o March 1870 – enough states had ratified it – made it part of
Constitution
2