Reconstruction 1863–1877

Reconstruction refers to the period after the Civil War during which the United States attempted to rebuild the South and integrate formerly enslaved African Americans into society as citizens. It was a time of significant progress but also of fierce resistance, ultimately ending in disappointment for Black Americans. This is an important topic for the AQA GCSE History specification.

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What Was Reconstruction?

After the Civil War ended in 1865, the nation faced enormous questions:

• How should the defeated Confederate states be readmitted to the Union?
• What rights should formerly enslaved people have?
• How should the devastated Southern economy be rebuilt?
• Who should control the process — the President or Congress?

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Presidential Reconstruction (1863–1867)

Lincoln's Plan

Before his assassination, Lincoln proposed a lenient approach to Reconstruction:

• His Ten Percent Plan (1863) said that a Confederate state could rejoin the Union once 10% of its voters swore loyalty to the United States and accepted the abolition of slavery.
• Lincoln wanted to heal the nation quickly — "with malice toward none, with charity for all."

Andrew Johnson's Presidency