Reconstruction aimed to politically and economically rebuild the South after the Civil War. Lincoln's lenient Ten Percent Plan failed due to congressional opposition. Andrew Johnson also pursued a lenient presidential reconstruction, opposing civil rights for freedmen. Johnson vetoed the Freedman's Bureau Bill and Civil Rights Act of 1866. In response, Congress passed the Reconstruction Act of 1867, dividing the South into military districts overseen by the Union and protecting freedmen's civil rights. Southern resistance emerged through black codes, Jim Crow laws, and violent groups like the KKK. Reconstruction declined due to northern corruption, economic troubles, and the Compromise of 1877 which ended federal protection and allowed white "Redemption" in the South.

1. Reconstruction
and Its End

2. Objectives Covered in the
Activity:
SS.912.A.2.1: Review causes and consequences of the Civil War.
SS.912.A.2.2: Assess the influence of significant people or groups on
Reconstruction.
SS.912.A.2.3: Describe the issues that divided Republicans during the
early Reconstruction era.
SS.912.A.2.4: Distinguish the freedoms guaranteed to African Americans
and other groups with the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to
the Constitution.
SS.912.A.2.5: Assess how Jim Crow Laws influenced life for African
Americans and other racial/ethnic minority groups.

3. Reconstruction
Please pay attention to the colors of the
heading. We will use the following colors
to indicate when the information refers
to…
Political Rebuilding
• Reuniting the government to feel like a whole again.
Economic Rebuilding
• Rebuilding industries, factories, farms, towns, cities to
be productive again

4. Lincoln’s Plan
Lenient
•Goal: Lenient to the South to
quickly rebuild the Union
“Ten Percent Plan”
•10% of Southerners must take
an oath of allegiance
•Unsuccessful because Congress
wants to punish the South
Objective SS.912.A.2.2: Assess the influence of
significant people or groups on Reconstruction.

5. Johnson’s
Plan
Lenient (easier than Lincoln’s
Plan)
Goal:
•Reunite North and South
•Punish wealthy white
Southerners
Presidential Reconstruction
1. Each state would have to
withdraw its secession
2. Swear allegiance to United
Objective SS.912.A.2.2: Assess the influence of
significant people or groups on Reconstruction.

6. Johnson’s
Plan
Lenient (easier than Lincoln’s
Plan)
Goal:
•Reunite North and South
•Punish wealthy white
Southerners
Presidential Reconstruction
Johnson opposed any attempt
to ensure civil rights to
freedmen.
Objective SS.912.A.2.2: Assess the influence of
significant people or groups on Reconstruction.

7. Johnson’s
Vetoes
Freedman’s Bureau:
•goal was to feed and
house freed slaves
and poor whites
•goal to reunite
families that were
broken due to
Objective SS.912.A.2.2: Assess the influence of
significant people or groups on Reconstruction.

8. Johnson’s
Vetoes
Civil Rights Act of 1866
•Goal was to forbid
black codes passed
by states
Johnson’s reaction:
Vetoes both!
Objective SS.912.A.2.2: Assess the influence of
significant people or groups on Reconstruction.

9. Reconstruction Act of 1867
(Radical Reconstruction)
Four Parts
• Divided the other 10 former Confederate
States into 5 military districts, each headed
by a Union General
• Voters in the districts, including African-
Americans, would elect delegates to state
constitution conventions
• New state constitutions had to ensure

10. Reconstruction Act of 1867

11. Southern Resistance
1. Black Codes
2. Jim Crow Laws
3. Carpetbaggers
4. Scalawags
• Abandoned the Republican party when they no
longer saw an advantage to be a member
5. KKK (Ku Klux Klan)
• White supremacists killed important

12. Southern Resistance
Poll taxes
• pay to vote [this does affect
poor whites as well]
Literacy test
• [also affects white voters]
you can vote if you pass a
test in how well you read and
do math

13. Reconstruction on the Decline
Corruption
• Diverted public
attention in the North
from what was
happening in the
South
• Decreased support
Economic
Troubles
•Economic
Depression took
away public attention
in the North from
what was happening

14. Election of
1876
Hayes (Republican) VS. Tilden
(Democrat)
• Votes could not be counted in Florida,
Louisiana, and South Carolina
because of voting problems
Bargain of 1877
• Hayes became president
• Result: “Redemption” – White Southerners regain control
of the South
The End of Reconstruction
• Withdrew federal troops from Louisiana and South
Carolina thereby restoring Democrats to power