HIST 2057 Chapter : Reconstruction
Document Summary
A tragic period where hope ended in failure; the political and social process by which the former rebellious southern states came back into the united states after the civil war. Enormous time of change: legal basis for equality; blacks enslaved then free. Some states were going back into the union. Lincoln believed that to win the war, he must get the states back into the union as quick as possible. Lincoln ignored the reasons why they fought the war. First lincoln policy: full pardons to rebels willing to renounce secession and accepted abolition (freeing of the slaves); property rights back except slaves, When 10% of states voting population could be assembled they could recreate state governments- governor, elections, etc. 4 states were readmitted; lincoln hoped this would weaken the confederacy. If lincoln had lived he would have made his policy more difficult but assassinated 5 days after the war ended. Pro hanging rebels but he owned slaves himself.
