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Lincoln's Plans for Reconstruction
During Reconstruction, Abraham Lincoln's goal was to unite the Union as quickly as he could. He said that a state could enter the Union once more by swearing an oath to the Constitution and ending slavery. Once 10% or more of the population of the state agreed to do so, it was pardoned and admitted back in. Only a few higher up Confederate officials had to get their pardon directly from the president. -
Radical Republican/Congressional Plan for Reconstruction
The Radical Republican Plan was different from Lincoln and Johnston's plans. It made it much harder for a state to reenter the Union, since over 50% of the population had to agree to the plan. It allowed black men to hold office and made sure that the 14th Amendment would be passed. It also put all of the Southern states under direct military control and new state Constitutions had to go through congress before being ratified. -
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Post Civil War
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Atlanta University
Now known as Atlanta Clark University after joining with Clark College, Atlanta University is the oldest predominantly African American University. It is also one of the surviving schools established by the Freedmen's Bureau. -
Freedmen's Bureau
During Reconstruction, the economy of the South was in extreme disarray. Many soldiers did not return from the war or came back home wounded and unable to work in the field. During this time, many freedmen (former slaves during the Civil War) were starting to look for jobs and housing. The Freedmen's Bureau was established in March of 1865 to help freedmen and poor whites find jobs and homes, it offered food and clothing, gave medical attention, and set up a system to better education for them. -
Johnson's Reconstruction Plan
Andrew Johnson's plan for Reconstruction after Lincoln was assassinated was almost identical to his predecessor's. He would follow the same rules for a state to be admitted into the Union, but now larger plantation owners that had many slaves also had to apply directly to the president for a pardon. Along with that, Ex-Confederate officers could now hold office. However, his plan also denied the right for some freedmen to vote if the states sees it as fit. -
13th Amendment
The 13th Amendment to the United States Constitution was the final step taken towards completely abolishing slavery in the United States. It was passed by every state in the former Union and by the end of 1865, it was passed by almost every state that fought in the war. Although the law officially said that slaves were forbidden, many Southern states (like Georgia) found ways around the legislation by establishing Jim Crow laws that discriminative towards non whites in southern society. -
Morehouse College
Morehouse was originally established as an entirely black college for males, but it has since grown into a liberal arts school open to anyone who is a male. It is one of the colleges established by the Freedmen's Bureau that still stands today. -
The Union League
The Union Leagues were groups of people that supported the ideas of Abraham Lincoln and the Republican Party. They were composed of upper class white males that could help fund the president and the Republican Party. The first of the Leagues was established in 1862 in Philadelphia. Subsequently, many more Union Leagues were created in Southern states after the beginning of Reconstruction in 1867. -
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Reconstruction Era
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14th Amendment
The 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution made all freedmen (former slaves) citizens. It was mandatory for the states to ratify this amendment to be able to join the Union once more under Johnson's Plan and the Congressional Plan. However, citizenship was only given to adult males. Women were denied citizenship. This ended up sparking great controversy. -
Clark College
Now known as Atlanta Clark University after its merge with Atlanta University, Clark College was founded by the Methodist Episcopal church and is named after one of its bishops, Bishop David Wasgatt Clark. Clark College is a college started by the Freedmen's Bureau that is still standing today. -
The Georgia Act
During Reconstruction, a group known as the Ku Klux Klan that planned to torment and abuse freedmen was formed. Although it was required by each state to allow all freedmen the right to vote, the was evidence found that the KKK in Georgia kept a large number from doing so during the election of 1868. The Georgia act was then passed and Georgia was then put under military control until the ratification of the 15th Amendment that allowed suffrage for all U.S. citizens. -
15th Amendment
The 15th Constitutional Amendment made it illegal for any citizen to be denied the right to vote due to "race, color, or previous condition of servitude". Freedmen were finally given suffrage. Nevertheless, this angered some southern states and put disfranchisement into effect. Disfranchisement is when different things are put into effect to keep people from voting (such as literacy tests and a poll tax). However, If your father or grandfather could vote before January 1, 1861, you could too. -
Contributions of the Freedmen's Bureau
Although the Freedman's Bureau was disbanded in 1872, its contributions were major. Many freedmen ended up with jobs and food and clothing, the ties between freedmen and former slave owners was tightened, and multiple facilities (such as colleges and hospitals were established). Even the 14th and 15th Amendments to the Constitution were partially thanks to the Freedmen's Bureau.
