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Lincoln sets forth 10 percent Reconstruction Plan
Once 10 percent of the voting population of a southern state took an oath of allegiance to the Union, they would be able to set up a "Unionist government." http://www.maxrambod.com/images/main/abraham-lincoln-picture.jpg -
Wade-Davis Bill passes Congress but is pocket-vetoed by Lincoln
The Wade-Davis Bill would have required that 50 percent of Southern voters take an oath of loyalty to the Union before Reconstruction began. http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/treasures_of_congress/Images/page_13/44b.jpg -
Johnson moves to reconstruct the South on his own initiative
Johnson made sure that reconstructed state governments would be held by loyal people. He appointed provisional governors and made sure that those delegates who would create new state constitutions were loyal to the Union. http://www.pcs.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/andrew_johnson.jpg -
Congress refuses to seat representatives and senators elected from states reestablished under presidential plan
Congress voided Johnson's initiatives through what is known as the Radical Reconstruction, a compromise of the Republicans. -
Johnson vetoes Freedmen's Bureau Bill
The Freedmen's Bureau was to be a temporary government agency designed to provide help to former slaves in becoming self sufficient citizens. The Bill of the same name was designed to create this agency. Andrew Johnson vetoed this bill before a modified version eventually passed. http://www.impeach-andrewjohnson.com/ListOfCartoons/KickingFreedmensBureauCrop480.jpg -
Johnson vetoes Civil Rights Act; it passes over his veto
The Civil Rights Act was meant to end the Black Codes and mandate equality. Johnson vetoed this bill, but it received a two-thirds majority to pass in spite of the veto. http://www.independent.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00113/andrew-johnson_113856t.jpg -
Congress passes Fourteenth Amendment
The Fourth Amendment passed, which gave citizenship and equal rights to any person born in the United States. http://www.pbs.org/wnet/slavery/experience/legal/images/doc_small_5.jpg -
Republicans increase their congressional majority in the fall elections
The Republicans regained the majority in Congress with a two-thirds majority due to the issue of the Fourteenth Amendment and Johnson's actions around it. http://www.treehugger.com/green-republicans.jpg -
First Reconstruction Act is passed over Johnson's veto
The First Reconstruction Act passed, placing the South under military rule in five districts, as part of the process of Reconstruction. http://georgiainfo.galileo.usg.edu/tdgh-mar/reconstructionmap.jpg -
Johnson impeached, avoids conviction by one vote
Johnson appointed General Lorenzo Thomas as head of the War Department, which was in violation of the recently passed Tenure of Office Act which restricted the President's ability to appoint cabinet members without Senate approval. The House moved to impeach Johnson, and he escaped conviction by one vote. http://etc.usf.edu/clipart/5600/5678/johnson_impeachment_1_lg.gif -
Southern blacks vote and serve in constitutional conventions
Some African Americans were able to hold elected positions during the Reconstruction era, and often had more integrity than white politicians. http://cache.boston.com/bonzai-fba/Third_Party_Graphic/2008/08/23/1219473651_6819.jpg -
Grant wins presidential election, defeating Horatio Seymour
Ulysses S. Grant, a Republican, won the election of 1868, defeating Horatio Seymour with a wide margin of electoral votes.
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Congress passes Fifteenth Amendment, giving African Americans the right to vote.
The Fifteenth Amendment allowed any male citizen of the United States the right to vote regardless of race.
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Congress passes the Ku Klux Klan Acts to protect black voting rights in the South
The Ku Klux Klan intimidated, harmed, or even murdered African Americans who were known to be Republican. The Force Acts, or Klu Klux Klan acts, made it illegal to interfere with anyone's voting rights. http://americanhistory.si.edu/Brown/history/1-segregated/images/early-kkk-l.jpg -
Grant re-elected president, defeating Horace Greeley, candidate of the Liberal Republicans and Democrats
Ulysses S. Grant, a Republican, was re-elected in 1872 after Horace Greeley conducted an unappealing campaign to voters. http://blogs.westword.com/demver/HM%20horacegreely%20explore%20PA%20history.jpg -
Financial panic plunges nation into depression
President Grant allowed greenbacks to circulate until the economy improved enough that they could be backed by gold. The Panic of 1873 caused the economy to spin into depression due to a rush to inflate the currency.
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Congress passes Specie Resumption Act
This act slowly reduced the amount of greenbacks in circulation until the return to specie payments could be complete.
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"Whiskey Ring" Scandal Exposed
The "Whiskey Ring" consisted of federal revenue officials who worked with distillers to steal millions of dollars from the government through liquor taxes. Grant, however, may not have profited from the scandal, but he interfered when the Senate took action against those involved.
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Disputed presidential election resolved in favor of Republican Hayes over Democrat Tilden
This election was won by Tilden narrowly in electoral votes, but three Republican controlled states that had not been able to vote threw the election into chaos because if Hayes were given those electoral votes, he would win by a single electoral vote. Republican and Democrat leaders negotiated secretly to give Hayes the presidency.
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Compromise of 1877 ends military intervention in the South and causes fall of the last Radical governments
The Compromise of 1877 removed all Federal troops from the remaining unreconstructed southern states.
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