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Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction
President Lincoln issued a Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction on December 8, 1863, which offered citizens of seceded states pardon and restoration to the Union if they would swear an oath of allegiance and accept the end of slavery. -
The Wade-Davis Bill
Lincoln declined to sign the bill which proposed more demanding and harsh terms for reconstruction. It required 50% of voters for each state to take an oath of loyalty and did not permitted confederates to vote. -
Civil Rights Act of 1866
The Civil Rights Act of 1866 was enacted on April 9, 1866. It was the very first federal law, in America, to define US citizenship and affirmed that ALL citizens were equally protected under the law. The purpose of this act was to support and protect the rights of African-Americans in the aftermath following the civil war. -
Reconstruction Act of 1867
This Act was passed by Congress but was vetoed by President Johnson. The Reconstruction Act invalidated the state government formed under the Lincoln & Johnson plans and all the legal decisions made by that government. It outlined conditions for the Southern states to be reinstated to the Union. -
Amnesty Act of 1872
The Amnesty Act removed voting constraints and office-holding disqualification against most of the southerners who rebelled in the American Civil War, except for roughly 500 confederate military leaders. -
The Panic of 1873
The Panic of 1873 was a financial crisis that triggered a depression in Europe and North America that lasted from 1873 until 1879, and even longer in some countries. The panic was arguably a result of over-expansion in different industries like the railroads and a drop in demand for American farm products and European investment. -
The Compromise of 1877
The Compromise of 1877 was an unprecedented, unofficial peace between Republican allies of Rutherford Hayes and Democrats to help reach a settlement on the 1876 presidential election. The Democrats agreed not to block Hayes’ election in exchange the Republicans would withdraw all troops from the South. This solidified Democratic power over the region. As a result, Florida, Louisiana, and South Carolina became Democratic states again, which effectively ended the Reconstruction era. -
The Pullman Strike
The strike was in response to financial reverses by the Pullman Palace Car Company. The already low wages of its workers were cut by almost 25 percent but did not reduce the rent and other expenses. As a result, numerous workers and their families risked starvation. When some workers tried voicing their grievances, Pullman refused to even attend and ordered them fired
