“Reconstruction laws and amendments reflected the intersection of two products of the Civil War era: a newly empowered national state and the idea of ​​a national state, and the idea of ​​a national citizenship enjoying equality before the law. period of facilitation of the reintegration of the South into the Union. Due to the fact that different individuals held office during the Reconstruction period, many versions of how to reform the South emerged. Abraham Lincoln, Andrew Johnson, and the Radical Republicans in Congress all had different plans regarding the combination of the North and South, which should oversee the repair of the South, and all of the plans had different successes, but all had one central goal: which was to reintegrate the Confederate States into the Union as quickly as possible. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Andrew Johnson began presidential reconstruction. Johnson and Abraham Lincoln had similar plans for the South, helping Johnson develop his Reconstruction plan after Lincoln's assassination. They both believed that the Confederate States had no right to succeed. Lincolns approach emphasized the idea that there would be no harsh punishment for the "succession" through his Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction. Johnsons plan called for offering pardons to almost all white southerners who complied with taking the oath to the Union. The pardons offered to all except Confederate leaders and wealthy planters did not remain consistent, as they eventually received individual pardons from Johnson. Another central part of Johnson's plan was to appoint provisional governors and direct them to call state conventions that would establish "loyal" governments in the South. Johnson's beliefs acquired during his education are reflected in the terms of his Reconstruction plan, such as his hatred of the large planters, whom he described as a "bloated and corrupt aristocracy". (Foner, 454) The new Southern governments would then create "black codes", laws passed that attempted to regulate the lives of former slaves, thus turning Northern Republicans against Andrew Johnson, triggering the conflict between Congress and power executive which would last throughout Reconstruction. period. This would result in a lack of legislation being passed, which would hinder the success of Andrew Johnson's plan. By the election of 1866, complete control over policymaking in Congress was controlled by the Radical Republicans. This marked the beginning of Radical Reconstruction, also known as Congressional Reconstruction. Congress demanded the dissolution of the new Southern governments and wanted to establish new Southern governments composed of rebels excluded from power. This reconstruction plan was most successful thanks to several pieces of legislation passed in favor of Congress. One example is the ratification of the 14th Amendment, which created the opportunity to “institutionalize the principle of equal rights for all.” Congress also ratified the 14th Amendment. This established the principle of citizenship for all people born in the United States and empowered the federal government to protect the rights of all Americans. (Foner, 456) Radical Republicans in Congress created the Wade-Davis bill, which set much stricter requirements for readmission to the United States. The Wade Davis bill was a response to opposition to the lenient amnesty proclamation.