When the Civil War ended in April 1865, the struggle for a united America had not been over yet. Among the many problems and duties that accompanied the reconstruction, the most important, at least in my opinion, was that of the question of the nearly 4 million newly freed slaves. Where should these people turn for help, what could they do with their freedom?

In his book The United States , W. D. Jordan described the situation of black slaves trying to test their freedom. (Jordan, 1987) According to Jordan, the first test that freedmen could make was leaving the plantation as soon as possible, hoping for a better economic status, or finding long missed family members. However, many decided to remain in the environment where they could feel at home. Because white people dominated the political and economic life, they could still control even the freedom of the black population. In order to make life easier for the black, in March 1865, Congress created the Freedmen’s Bureau. This served to help freed blacks settle on abandoned lands and provided them with food and clothing. Sadly, much of the land that was worked by black labourers was returned to their original owners, this way leaving black freedmen’s dreams of becoming self-supporting unrealised.

There were various plans to reconstruct the situation after the war. One was that of President Lincoln. His plan was called the “10-percent plan”, issued on December 8,1863, to proclaim Amnesty and Reconstruction. Lincoln planned to pardon the Southerners if they were willing to take an oath of obedience to the Constitution and the Union. According to this Plan, wherever 10 percent of the population took the oath of loyalty to the Union, that Southern state would be readmitted into the Union. Such a state had the right to “elect new state officers, and send members to the United States Congress.” (Jordan, 1987) Lincoln’s Plan was rejected by both Radical Republicans and black leaders.

The best solution would have been to accept the Plan of the Radicals, perhaps. They were ready to let states set up their own constitution if the majority of those subjects that have always been loyal to the union took the oath of obedience. This plan also stated, that “the new state constitutions in the South must abolish slavery”, and that blacks should have voting rights. In January 1865, Radicals adopted the Thirteenth Amendment, “which abolished slavery throughout the United States.” (Jordan, 1987) After Lincoln died, Radicals were hoping that President Johnson would agree to their plan.

Although, to some extent Johnson was willing to accept Radicals’ ideas, later on they were in opposition over the idea of reconstruction.

And what do they think nowadays? What? They? Think????

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