Reconstruction

Period from 1863 to 1877 in American history.  The era was characterized by the attempt to bring the former Confederate states back into the Union through reconciliation, and an acceptance of the emancipation of the former slaves in the South.  Laws were passed designed to fulfill a vision of enabling the former slave population an adjustment to freedom, citizenship, and equal protection under the Constitution.  While Presidents Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson both took moderate positions designed to bring the South back into the Union as quickly as possible, their Republican counterparts in Congress sought stronger measures to not only ensure a rapid acclimation to freedom for the former slaves, but to punish the former Confederates for their “rebellion.”