5.12 Comparison in Period 5

Comparing sectional views on Reconstruction

Northern Republicans (Radical vs. moderate) split over how harshly to treat the South and how much protection to give freedpeople. Southern whites largely resisted Black civil and political rights, using violence and Black Codes. Freedpeople sought land, education, voting rights, and family reunification. Southern Unionists and some Republicans wanted quick reconciliation, while Radicals demanded structural change before readmission.

Comparing Reconstruction plans

Lincoln's 10% Plan and Andrew Johnson's plan offered lenient terms, requiring only a small loyalty oath and quick restoration of Southern state governments. Congressional/Radical Reconstruction (Reconstruction Acts of 1867) imposed military districts, required states to ratify the 14th Amendment, and demanded Black male suffrage—reflecting a harsher, rights-based approach compared to executive leniency.

Comparing outcomes: successes vs. limits

Reconstruction achieved constitutional gains—13th, 14th, 15th Amendments—and temporary Black political participation. Yet compared to these successes, Compromise of 1877, the rise of the Ku Klux Klan, and Northern fatigue led to the withdrawal of federal troops, the end of Radical Reconstruction, and the rise of segregation and disenfranchisement, showing a gap between legal promise and lived reality.

Key terms

Radical Republicans vs. Moderate Republicans

Radicals wanted harsh treatment of the South and strong protections for freedpeople; moderates favored quicker, less punitive reconciliation.

Lincoln's/Johnson's Plan vs. Congressional Reconstruction

Executive plans were lenient (loyalty oaths); Congressional Reconstruction (1867) imposed military districts and required Black suffrage and 14th Amendment ratification.

Freedpeople's goals vs. White Southern resistance

Freedpeople sought land, education, and voting rights; many white Southerners resisted through Black Codes and violence.

Compromise of 1877

Deal ending disputed 1876 election by giving Hayes the presidency in exchange for withdrawing federal troops from the South, ending Reconstruction.

Constitutional gains vs. practical limits of Reconstruction

13th, 14th, 15th Amendments granted rights on paper, but KKK violence, Black Codes, and troop withdrawal limited their real-world impact.

Try an AP-style question

Compared to the Union, the Confederacy had…

1. a stronger navy
2. more foreign allies
3. more people and industry
4. fewer factories and railroads