Reconstruction under Lincoln
The goal of president Abraham Lincoln was the unification of the divided country. Having survived the assassination attempt, Lincoln proceeded with his plan to reintegrate the Confederate states into the nation. This led to them receiving proper representation in Congress. Having former confederates among the supporters would enable the president to oppose the radical democrats and republicans (Foner, 2009). As a result, radical dominance was avoided, with the moderate factions holding most seats.
Lincoln made sure that Reconstruction efforts were distributed equally. This means that resources were channeled into restoring the southern economies. The president saw no need to use the Army to organize military districts (Hubbard, 2017). Instead, the states were welcome to join the Union as long as at least 10 percent of voters were willing to. Another prerequisite was the abolition of slavery and the social integration of former slaves. However, Lincoln did not grant the freedmen voting rights.
Overall, Lincoln’s efforts achieved a smooth transition of Confederate states into the Union. Another success was the lack of military supervision and support to the states, which had suffered during the war. However, by ensuring that formerly Confederate states received a fair amount of resources, Lincoln had miscalculated. These states were quick to restore their economic capacities and gather more seats in Congress, further pushing away the prospect of the freedmen receiving voting rights.
Comparison to Johnson’s Reconstruction
Although Andrew Johnson intended to continue Lincoln’s efforts, he did not use the 10 percent plan. Having no support from the former Confederates, Johnson was thwarted by the Republicans. Five military districts were organized in the Southern states (Connor Gullen, 2020). Johnson established new governments in which the former slaves could not vote. This caused much opposition from the Republicans, which resulted in the subsequent impeachment in 1868. Altogether, Lincoln would have been a more appealing figure to all sides than Jonson was, which would allow quicker and smoother restoration and reunion.
Reconstruction under Radical Republicans
Radical Republicans wanted to punish the Southern states for inciting the war. Therefore, at first, they were not accepted back into the nation. The only way for a state to return to the Union was by having at least 50 percent of voters in favor of the reentry (McPherson, 2012). Former confederates did not receive any representation, thus allowing the radicals to achieve the Congressional majority. Moreover, the freedmen were immediately given voting rights, and the subsequent amendment to the Constitution was made.
The major failure of the radical Republicans lay in the failure to unify the states. The reason for this is that none of the former Confederate officials was represented in the nation. As a result, the southern states became primarily Republican, further dividing the nation (Foner, 2019). The success of the radical Republicans lay in the proper social integration and protection of former slaves. However, economically, these states were not successful because of the incompetence of former slaves.
Comparison to Johnson’s Reconstruction
In real history, there was no universal punishment for all Confederates, as some of them even returned to the Union’s government. However, the Republicans were still able to enforce voting rights on the freedmen (Gallagher & Waugh, 2016). Contrary to the Republican plans, new governments were formed in the Southern states. However, the regulation of governments was still given to the former slaves who did not manage on their own. As a result, the ideas of white supremacy took root. Overall, the alternative timeline was similar to the actual history, with the difference being the order of the Southern States’ reentry.
References
Foner, E. (2009). If Lincoln Hadn’t Died… American Heritage, 58(6), 47–54.
Foner, E. (2019). The second founding: How the Civil War and Reconstruction remade the Constitution. WW Norton & Company.
Gallagher, G. W., Waugh, J. (2016). The American War: A history of the Civil War era. Flip Learning.
Connor Gillen. (2020). Ken Burns Civil War 1990 Episode 9 Ken Burns Documentary. YouTube. Web.
Hubbard, C. M. (2017). Lincoln and Congress. The Annals of Iowa, 76(4), 439-440.
McPherson, J. M. (2012). The war that forged a nation: Why the Civil War still matters. Oxford University Press.