Presidential Reconstruction
Andrew Johnson
● Lincoln’s VP
● Became president in 1865, after
Lincoln’s assassination
● Congress on vacation when
appointed
In Your Notebook...
Based on the political cartoon,
how do you think the public felt
about Johnson? Answer the
question by listing 3 adjectives in
your notebook.
Andrew Johnson’s Plan
● Reconstruction is president’s job, not Congress
● More generous than Lincoln, eventually pardoned
Confederate leaders
● Pardoned most white Southerners
● Kept Ten Percent Plan
Johnson’s Process
Each former Confederate state had to:
● Call constitutional convention
● Ratify 13th Amendment
Johnson’s Goal
● Readmit Southern states to the Union as quickly as possible
● Not concerned with meeting the needs of formerly enslaved
people
Do you agree with Johnson’s goal? Explain your stance in 2-3
sentences.
Congress Was Angry, Because
● Former Confederate officers and political leaders were
elected to Congress
● Development of Black Codes
Black Codes
● Laws that restricted freedmen’s rights
● Examples: curfews, vagrancy laws, labor contracts, and land
restrictions, written proof of work, forbidden to meet in
groups or carry guns
Why do you think this was problematic?