Congress and Wade-Davis Reconstruction

Definition

This was a plan proposed by Radical Republicans in Congress for reconstructing Southern states after the Civil War. It required a majority of white males in each state to swear loyalty to the Union, and it denied political rights to anyone who had voluntarily fought for the Confederacy.

Analogy

Think of this like a strict teacher who won't let students back into class until they've not only apologized for misbehaving but also promised not to do it again. And those who were ringleaders in causing trouble are banned from certain privileges.

Related terms

Black Codes: Laws passed by Southern states after the Civil War that severely restricted the rights and freedoms of African Americans.

Freedmen's Bureau: A federal agency established in 1865 to aid freed slaves and poor whites in the South after the Civil War.

14th Amendment: An amendment ratified in 1868 granting citizenship and equal civil and legal rights to African Americans and slaves who had been emancipated after the Civil War.