Civil War Reconstruction

3 Pages 774 Words

In the years between 1860 and 1877 the citizens of the southern United States were faced with numerous social and constitutional issues that had been escalating for many years. With the Civil War and the issues of slavery and racism becoming very imminent, America was on the verge of major social and constitutional revolutions. The way these issues were handled would have a major impact on the United States as it is today.

The secession of the southern states and the forming of the Confederacy brought about the first major constitutional change. The south felt that they needed to form the Confederacy because they felt that their states’ rights were being imposed upon by the Federal government (Doc. A). The Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 became one of the most important constitutional changes in that it freed the slaves in the 11 states of the Confederacy. Lincoln’s plan for reconstruction of the south was the Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction, which he instituted in 1864. He did this because he wanted the south to rejoin the Union. His plan was well liked in the south because it did not give blacks the right to vote and it only required a 10% loyalty oath vote. Tennessee was the first state to accept Lincoln’s plan and rejoin the Union. Later that same year, Congress had a response to Lincoln’s plan that was known as the Wade Davis Bill. Included in the Wade Davis Bill was a 50% loyalty oath vote and slavery was to be outlawed. It was required that state conventions were held, where new state constitutions were written. Soldiers and high-ranking military officers were not allowed to be part of the state conventions. This bill was given to President Lincoln right before Congress was to be recessed for the season. Lincoln did not immediately accept or veto the Wade Davis Bill, but he held onto it until after Congress had recessed, and this became known as the infamous “pocket veto.” The 13th and ...