President Johnson: Political Reconstruction After Civil War

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Following the Civil War a reconstruction period began, this included a political reconstruction. During 1865 through 1867, President Lincoln and then President Johnson focused on getting the south reunited with the Union as quickly as possible (“Reconstruction.”) President Johnson struggled to keep public and congressional support of his plans to reunite the country. This created issues for his plans when it came to getting legislation passed. Thaddeus Stevens and Charles Sumner were elected to congress and began a new plan on reconstruction. They focused on punishing those who rebelled by leaving the Union. They took a more aggressive approach to reconstruction. They were able to pass various pieces of legislation to further their agenda.