Reconstruction was the period after the Civil War where the terms under which the Confederate states would rejoin the Union had to be determined. Lincoln favored a moderate reconciliation plan, while Radical Republicans wanted to revolutionize the South and guarantee rights for African Americans. They disagreed on the harshness of Reconstruction plans like the Wade-Davis Bill. The Freedmen's Bureau was established to provide aid to freed slaves and refugees, helping them find work and establishing schools. However, Southern states passed Black Codes limiting the rights of African Americans.

1. Reconstruction By Cheyenne Smith