HIS271Y1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 12: Veto, Reconstruction Era, Edwin Stanton
Document Summary
About 10% of the south"s white male population is killed or badly wounded. The south is economically destitute, bankrupt, and high in debt: also suffers a psychological effect now that slavery is gone. South needs to be re-built and the rebel states have to be brought back into the union. Lincoln started planning for the eventual union victory as early as 1863: his primary aim was to restore unity as rapidly and peacefully as possible. Lincoln"s vision: proclamation of amnesty & reconstruction, december 1863. Offered a full pardon to any rebel who renounced secession and recognized abolition. Wanted 50% of the voters to take an allegiance oath before being readmitted. Wanted that equality of freed men be guaranteed under law. Lincoln pocket-veto"s this doesn"t sign the bill. The question of land and labour: freedmen"s bureau (bureau of refugees, freedmen, and abandoned. Distributes land, clothing, and food for those newly freed slaves who didn"t know what to do.
