Tuesday, March 24th

We finished up Reconstruction today. Remember Lincoln's plan was very lenient. He wanted to restore the South as quickly as possible and was going to let states return by simply finding a few people to say a loyalty oath. The Rad Republican plan was much harsher. The Radicals throughout almost all former CSA leaders and put Union troops in the South to govern and make sure freed blacks got the right to vote. The South very much detested this plan.

This plan was good for freed blacks though. It gave them many right. Blacks also elected some men to US Congress during Reconstruction. Overall there was a positive increase in their Civil Rights. Reconstruction ends in 1877, however, and when this happens the rights blacks had started to earn were taken away. The South passed Jim Crow laws to segregate the races and the KKK were left unchecked. It wasn't until the 1950's and 60's when blacks started to get those rights back.

13th Amendment - abolished slavery
14th Amendment - gave freed slaves the rights to citizenship
15th Amendment - gave freed blacks the right to vote