Reconstruction Acts of 1867-1868

Nearly two years following the end of the Civil War, Congress finally forged a complete plan for reconstruction. Three measures were passed in 1867 as well as additional legislation the following year. The measures' main points included:

Creation of five military districts in the seceded states (not including Tennessee, which had ratified the 14th Amendment and was readmitted to the Union)
Each district was to be headed by a military official empowered to appoint and remove state officials
Voters were to be registered; all freedmen were to be included as well as those white men who took an extended loyalty oath
State constitutional conventions, comprising elected delegates, were to draft new governing documents providing for black male suffrage
States were required to ratify the 14th Amendment prior to readmission.

Johnson’s vetoes of these measures were overridden by Congress, repeating a familiar pattern.

- - - Books You May Like Include: ----

The Charleston & Hamburg A South Carolina Railroad & an American Legacy by Thomas Fetters.
This comprehensive account of the Charleston & Hamburg's history from its inception through Reconstruction, with forgotten stories of America's premie...
The Bill of Rights: Creation and Reconstruction by Akhil Reed Amar.
"The Bill of Rights stands as the high temple of our constitutional order--America's Parthenon--and yet we lack a clear view of it," Akhil Reed Amar w...

Reconstruction Acts of 1867-1868

Start Your Visit With