The aftermath of the Civil War left the South in a dismal state of fiscal decline, political confusion and societal pandemonium. The post Civil War in America saw the need for all and sundry, irrespective of political affiliation, to join hands in an effort towards reconstructing the South. Most of the governments that existed before the war ceased to exist, with the infrastructure in the south having been destroyed. A number of cities were in shambles, with farm fields having been overgrown. The social family order was no more. Indeed, the need for reconstruction was more than welcome.
Recontruction, 1865-1877
President Abraham Lincoln had a flexible and realistic approach towards reconstruction. He insisted that slaves had to be emancipated, and this could only be possible after defeating the Southerners. In this regard, he appointed military governors like Andrew Johnson, whose success in the reconstitution of Tennessee proved worthwhile, leading to his recommendation as vice president on the Republican ticket under Lincoln in 1864 (Klotter et al., 2005). Following the assassination of President Lincoln, with Andrew Johnson assuming power, it was believed that he would be able to work well with the Congress, in order to effectively administer the reconstruction process.
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In May 1865, he made his policy clear when he issued amnesty for Confederates, and even after authorizing provisional governments to former Confederate states, he did not necessitate them to enfranchise African