President Abraham Lincoln’s strategy for Reconstruction following the American Civil War proposed a lenient path for the Southern states to rejoin the Union. This approach stipulated that a state could re-establish a legitimate government once ten percent of its voting population, as recorded in the 1860 election, pledged allegiance to the United States. The plan also required the state to abolish slavery. This framework was intended to facilitate a swift and relatively painless reunification.
The significance of this initiative lies in its attempt to minimize long-term resentment and resistance in the South. By offering comparatively easy terms for readmission, the administration hoped to quickly restore national unity and stability. However, the proposal sparked considerable controversy, particularly among Radical Republicans in Congress who believed it was too lenient and failed to adequately protect the rights of formerly enslaved people. They felt it risked restoring the Southern aristocracy and perpetuating racial inequality.
