Note: Your teacher will grade your responses to questions 20‒21 to ensure you receive proper credit for your answers.
Explain the purpose of Reconstruction. Describe the difference between Lincoln’s plan and the plan implemented by the Radical Republicans.
The purpose of Reconstruction was to rebuild and reconstruct the Southern states that had been devastated by the Civil War, as well as to bring about social, political, and economic equality for freed slaves.
Lincoln's plan, also known as the "10 Percent Plan," was relatively lenient towards the Southern states. It required only 10% of a state's voters to swear allegiance to the Union in order to be readmitted to the Union. Additionally, it offered amnesty to former Confederates who were not high-ranking officials and allowed Southern states to create new governments and ban slavery.
On the other hand, the plan implemented by the Radical Republicans was much harsher. Their plan, known as the Reconstruction Acts, required Southern states to ratify the 14th Amendment, disband their current government, and create new ones that included African American men. It also placed much stricter conditions on readmission to the Union, such as the requirement to grant African Americans full citizenship rights. The Radical Republicans were more focused on punishing the South for seceding and ensuring the rights of freed slaves, whereas Lincoln's plan was more about reconciliation and bringing the nation together.