Reconstruction plans

Lincoln's plan for Reconstruction was never able to be carried out because of his death. But from the beginning of the war, Lincoln just wanted the South to come peacefully back into the Union. That is why in his plan, only 10% of the residents in the former Confederacy would have to sign an oath of loyalty saying that they would form a new government and re-enter the Union. Every one in the South would be forgiven and given a pardon, even those who still supported the Confederacy. States would also need to accept the Emancipation Proclamation. Many Republicans thought that Lincoln was being too easy on the rebels. The rebels were considered traitors to their nation after all. So, led by the Radical Republicans, the Wade-Davis bill was passed in 1864. In the plan, 50% of the residents in the South would have to swear the oath to the United States. It didn't make states pass the Emancipation, but left it to the courts to enforce that rule. Andrew Johnson was a democrat from the south who disliked any Southerner born with privileges. He became the next president after Lincoln was assassinated. Under his plan, all high-ranking officials and wealthy land owners had to receive a special pardon to be able to vote or hold office. The new government had to agree to the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, which made slavery illegal. His plan didn't help freed slaves and it also allowed for Jim Crow laws and Black Codes to exist. According to his plan, all Southern leaders had to be re-elected after they had received their pardons.