Reconstruction: Johnson Plan (Summary)

Lincoln Plan
In December 1863, Lincoln issued a proclamation declaring that whenever 10 percent of the electorate of 1860 in any Southern state should take an oath of allegiance to the Union, then a civil government should be set up which should be regarded as the "true government of the state." Under this plan three Southern states which had been occupied by Northern armies, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Louisiana, set up civil governments during 1864.

Lincoln began his second term on March 4, 1865. He had said, "with malice towards none; with charity for all to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace."
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Page 370, Henry Bamford Parkes


Johnson plan started in July 1865:

First Thirteen amendment was passed to be ratified by other states. It was implemented in December 1865. It was based on the following principal:
"On September 22, therefore, Lincoln proclaimed, in his capacity of commander-in-chief of the army, that "on the first day of January, 1863, all persons held as slaves within any state or designated part of a state the people whereof shall then be in rebellion against the United states shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free.""

Provisional Governors were appointed by the Federal Government over the South Provinces.

Provisional Governors were asked to arrange for the elections. Out of those elections, the representatives were to join as constitutional conventions to rewrite the constitution of the each state.

The electoral role of 1860 was to be used for conducting the election. Before the elections the voters had to give consent for the allegiance to the Federal Government.

The Federal government released a list of fourteen groups of such electorates who were not allowed to participate in the election. The list covered such voters who had held high offices or military posts during the Confederation period and the conduct of the war. it also included the people who had property more than twenty thousand dollars. However, a provision was added that such people could directly apply to the President to seek pardon and then receive the right to participate in the elections.

The new conventions to be elected through election, were expected to abrogate the secession from the union, abolish slavery and also the debt raised by earlier governments during the course of the civil war.

The conventions were given free hand to rewrite their new constitutions if they incorporate the desired amendments expected from them.

Johnson also expected from such conventions but did not make it binding on them that they should extend the right of franchise to Negroes who were literate or owned property. However, it also allowed them to decide on this issue on their own.

The conventions were expected to ratify the thirteen amendment made during the time of Lincoln.

In March 1965, during the Lincoln period, Freedmen’s Bureau under General Oliver O. Howard was established. It aimed at giving charity to the Blacks.

Black Codes:

Mostly all the Southern States gave the subordinate citizen status to the Blacks.

Negroes could not join the jury or vote. They could not carry arms. They were not allowed to move around on the public places.

However, they were allowed to possess property, buy sell property and seek legal remedies from the courts.

They were also given legal protection against cheating and exploitation.

However, they were also bound by law to obtain employment.

There were strict laws against their free movement without work.

They were to suffer punishment for dishonouring employment contracts.

In some states they were allowed only o do farm or domestic jobs.

There was discrimination against them in case of corporal punishments.

In some states, the employers were given right to give corporal punishment to the Black employees for disobedience.

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Page 377-78
Henry Bamford Parkes
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The above given points are summary of lecture given on August 30, 2005. The points are developed from Henry Bamford Parkes's A History of United States of America (Indian Edition by Khosla Publishing House, New Delhi. The relevant pages are given below each main paragraphs.)
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Kindly Note:
Give Stress first on writing the basic outline of the each plan as suggested above. Later you may develop the answer for different discussion and criticism. Each such question will be discussed in the class.


Hindi Punjabi medium Students, Kindly bear with me. I may soon give you the Hindi translation of such summaries.
The Next Lecture will be on Congress Plan.