Reconstruction policies

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Reconstruction policies
Reconstruction began after the end of the American Civil war. The main aim of the reconstruction was to put the union of states back together and free all the slaves. It took three eras for Reconstruction to be completed. The first era was led by Abraham Lincoln, second by Andrew Johnson and the third and final was the congressional era. The War Between the States commonly referred to as the American Civil War or the Civil War, was fought between 1861 and 1865 between the United States (Union or the North) and several of the southern slave states. The states had declared their secession and formed the Confederate States of America, popularly the Confederacy or the South. The war originated from the issue of slavery. The South was defeated and Reconstruction beganCITATION Fon95 \p 4 \l 2057 (Foner and Olivia 4). Between the year 1863 and 1869, Presidents Andrew Johnson and Abraham Lincoln adopted moderate positions to bring the south back to normal. On the other hand, the Radical Republicans used the Congress to block this moderate approach, impose harsh conditions, and upgrading of the rights of the Freedmen who were former slavesCITATION Fon95 \p 16 \l 2057 (Foner and Olivia 16). Lincoln`s and Johnson`s views prevailed until after the election of 1866. After these elections, the radicals took control and policies, removed former confederates from power, and enfranchised the freedmen: this was the congressional era. Implementation of the Reconstruction policies became most effective when the confederate state came under control of Union Army. President Lincoln saw the setting up of reconstructed governments in some of the states in the southCITATION Fra12 \p 38 \l 2057 (Franklin and Eric 38). Both Abraham Lincoln and Johnson favored a moderate approach to reconstruction. They both believed that the nation could only be served by quickly leaving behind the brutality of civil war. Radicals Republicans, who were led by Thaddeus Stevens, felt that the South should be punished for their contribution in the civil warCITATION Fra12 \p 17 \l 2057 (Franklin and Eric 17)Reconstruction plans could be divided into three basic bl...