Focus on the effects of government policy during Reconstruction on society from 1865 to 1877.
Key question: Should the Confederacy be treated with leniency or as a conquered foe?
Lincoln's Plan for Reconstruction
Ten-Percent Plan:
Southern states could re-establish their governments if 10% of 1860 voters pledged loyalty to the Union and ratified the Thirteenth Amendment (abolishing slavery).
Aimed for minimal barriers for Southern reentry to maintain Union.
Lincoln's assassination thwarted the plan's enactment.
Andrew Johnson's Presidency
Attempted to continue Lincoln's lenient policies.
Characteristics:
Southerner from Tennessee.
Opposed emancipation and racial equality.
Allowed former slave-owners to regain power, passing Black Codes to restrict black freedoms.
Radical Republicans' Opposition
Disagreed with Johnson's policies.
Sought Congressional leadership for Reconstruction.
Legislation Passed:
Extension of the Freedman's Bureau.
Civil Rights Act of 1866 (protected black citizenship and rights).
Overrode Johnson's veto on both.
Constitutional Amendments
Fourteenth Amendment:
Defined citizenship, guaranteed equal protection under the laws.
Reconstruction Acts of 1867:
Military division of the South into five districts.
Required Southern states to ratify the 14th Amendment and ensure universal male suffrage (including black men).
Impeachment of Andrew Johnson
The Tenure of Office Act of 1867 led to Johnson's impeachment trial.
Failed removal by one Senate vote.
Women's Rights Movement
Fifteenth Amendment:
Granted voting rights to black men but excluded women.
Created a split among women's rights advocates:
National Woman Suffrage Association (Stanton and Anthony): Opposed the amendment due to exclusion of women.
American Woman Suffrage Association (Stone and Blackwell): Supported the 15th Amendment while pursuing women's suffrage at the state level.
Conclusion
The video concludes with a light-hearted note on the difficulty of remembering association names and encourages viewers to continue watching series to succeed in exams.