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Lincoln sets forth 10 percent Reconstruction plan
The plan allowed President Lincoln to quickly readmit the southern states. The states would be readmitted only after it abolished slavery and ten percent of its voters in the 1860 election signed a loyalty oath. http://www.freewebs.com/thepill/america.jpg
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Wade-Davis Bill passes congress but is pocket-vetoed by Lincoln
Wade-Davis bill was passed by Congress to counter Lincoln's Ten Percent Plan. The bill required that a majority of confederate states white males take a loyalty oath and guarantee equality for all African Americans.
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Johnson moves to reconstruct the South on his own initiative
Andrew Johnson wanted to restore prewar federal system with one change that made it not possible for the old confederate states to legalize slavery or secede.
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Congress refuses to seat representatives and senators elected from states reestablished under presidential plan
Congress refused to seat the House and Senate from Louisiana and Arkansas because they were unhappy with Lincoln's Reconstruction experiments. The Radical Republicans favored the Reconstruction, but a bigger group of congressional moderates did not trust the Confederates who would play a key role in new governments.
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Johnson vetoes Freedmen's Bureau Bill
President Johnson vetoed two bills that had overwhelming Republican support. His decision did not help his relationship with the Republicans. The first bill vetoed extended the Freedman's Bureau which was an agency set up to help former slaves by providing assistance with living. The second bill vetoed was a civil rights bill which was intended to nullify Black Codes.
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Johnson vetoes Civil Rights Act; it passes over his veto
The Civil Rights Act was the first time Congress had overridden a Presidential veto.
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Congress Passes Fourteenth Amendment
The Republican majority on Capitol Hill passed the Fourteenth Amendment in fear of Johnson not enforcing civil rights legislation. The Fourteenth Amendment gave the Federal Government the responsibility of guaranteeing equal rights to all Americans.
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Republicans increase their congressional majority in the fall elections
President Johnson was repudiated by northern voters, because of his "swing around the circle" nationwide tour where he engaged in fights with hecklers and used crude language when speaking with opponents. This allowed the Republicans to take a two-thirds majority in both houses.
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First Reconstruction Act is passed over Johnson's veto
President Johnson's plans were nullified by the passing of this act. It placed the south under the army's rule by reorganizing the the region into five military districts.
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Southern Blacks vote and serve in constitutional conventions
Sixteen African Americans served in Congress, two of which belonged to the Senate. South Carolina was the only state in which blacks constitute a majority of even one house of the state legislature.
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Johnson is impeached; he avoides conviction by one vote
Johnson violated the Tenure of Office Act and appointed General Lorenzo Thomas as the head of the War Department. The House voted overwhelmingly to impeach the President and he was placed on trial before the Senate.
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Johnson is impeached; he avoids conviction by one vote
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Grant wins presidential election, defeating Horatio Seymour
Grant was a "sound" money supporter, which made the greenback question a nullified issue. With the southern states dominated by Republicans, Grant won the election with ease. http://www.il.ngb.army.mil/Images/Museum/HistoricalPeople/GrantUS.jpg -
Congress Passes Fifteeth Amendment, granting African Americans the right to vote
The Fifteenth Amendment prohibited any state from denying a male citizen the right to vote because of race, color, or previous servitude.
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Congress passes Ku Klux Klan Acts to protect black voting rights in the South
The Ku Klux Klan often scared African Americans into not voting or into voting for southern Democrats. Congress and the Grant administration passes a series of laws sought ot enforce the Fifteenth Amendment by providing federal protection for black suffrage and allowed use of the army against the Klan. The Ku Klux Klan Acts also made interference with voting rights a federal crime, and also allowed government supervision of elections.
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Congress passes Ku Klux Klan Acts to protect black voting rights in the south
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Grant re-elected president, defeating Horace Greeley, candidate of Liberal Republicans and Democrats
Despite spoilsmen taking place in republican office, Grant pulled out a victory in the election of 1872. Republicans who could not tolerate coruption of Grant's administration created a third party calle the Liberal Republicans. Grant smashed Greeley in the popular vote, and sadly Greeley died before the Electoral college voted. http://olmstedhistory.com/education/images/grant_wilson.jpg -
Financial panic plunges nation into depression
Greenback issue was brought back to attention in 1873. Due to financial panic, many sought to inflate the currency with soft- money. With gold being much harder to find and make, debt-ridden farmers would support the soft-money movement for the first time. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e8/Panic_of_1873_bank_run.jpg/200px-Panic_of_1873_bank_run.jpg -
Congress passes Specie Resumption Act
Senator John Sherman led congress into passing the Specie Resumption Act which reduced greenbacks until full resumption of speci payments by January 1st 1879. It was considered deflation in the midst of depression which angered the farmers and workers. http://www.cartoonstock.com/lowres/csl0761l.jpg -
"Whiskey Ring" scandal exposed
Grant's second administration was under suspicions of corruption. The public soon learned of federal revenue officials had conspired with distillers to defraud the government of millions of dollars in liquor taxes. -
Disputed presidential election resolved in favor of Republican Hayes over Democrat Tilden
The outcome of the election was put at a stand still. To resolve this mess Congress apointed a special electoral commission of fifteen members to determine who would receive the votes of the disputed states. This special electoral commission had seven Democrats, seven Republicans, and one Independent. The Republicans gained control because the independent resigned to run for Senate. http://www.harpweek.com/Images/SourceImages/CartoonOfTheDay/March/031876m.jpg -
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Disputed presidential election resolved in favor of Republican Hayes over Democrat Tilden
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Compromise of 1877 ends military intervention in the South and causes fall of the last Radical governments
Republican leaders negotiated secretly with conservative southern Democrats to ensure Hayes's election of president. The result was that Hayes would be president of the United States and the southern blacks would be abandoned to their fate. http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_P3OgR-4x2a4/SBJS_Uml02I/AAAAAAAAAK8/wr_zjjjeZP4/s400/CompromiseIndeed5w.jpg
