Racism and Reconstruction
Although Lincoln's Plan of Reconstruction was not put into effect inthe South after the Civil War, if it had been racism would have beenalmost completely avoided in the 20th century. Licoln's proposed planwas called the "10% Plan." It called for 10% of the people would votedin the 1860 Election to take a pledge of loyalty to the Union. Thisplan was met by harsh oppostion by the Radical Republicans in Congresswho viewed the South as conquered territory. These Radicals said thatLincoln's plan was much too soft. In return, Republicans in Congressthen moved to pass the Wade-Davis Bill in 1864. This bill requiredthat a majority of the South would have to take an iron clad oath thatthe had never supported the Confederacy. The Wade-Davis bill waspocket-vetoed by Lincoln who was assassinated shortly after. Johnson
Now the Southern ideals of white aristocracticsupremacy were revitalized and racist viewpoints as well as prejudicesocieties were formed. Lincoln claimed he would then work onre-developing the structure of each state government. Due to the bickering in Washington, problems startingarising in the South involving discrimination against liberatedblacks. The enactment of Black Codes by newly formed Southern regimeswas hurting the black emancipation movement. Even though we have racism today in almost the 21st century, itprobably could be severely lessened had we used Lincoln's Plan ofReconstruction. Although it is true that the passage ofLincoln's 10 Percent plan would have been a far simplier, swifter wayof starating the task of Reconstruction, it could not havesinglehandedly stopped the inevitable Southern backlash regardingempancipation. Therefore, although the 10 percent plan would have morereadily assissted in the transtition from slavery! to emancipation, itwould have not been able to stop the formation of racist ideals ororganizations. Johnson's plan was much more acrimonious towards theSouth. These laws were createdto control the affiars of the freed blacks, acting as post-Civil Warslave statutes. This whole chain of events was much a part of the seperation nowexisting within political parties, as well as dividing views held bySoutherners. Instead of Lincoln's "10% Plan", Johnson's Plan of Reconstuction wasput into effect. Lincoln's "10 % Plan" was thePresidential attempt to see to it that the South would adhere to theideals surrounding emancipation. Both Presdential and Congressional plans were developed in anattempt to ensure Reconstruction would be as smooth as a political,economic and social revolution as humanly possible. It was an issue thatencompassed both a change in lifestyle as well as in longstanding moralvalues.
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