RECONSTRUCTION AFTER THE CIVIL WAR The years after the Civil War were dedicated to trying to resolve the problems that were not only the cause of the war but were aggravated by the four years of fighting between the Union and the Confederacy. The issue at the forefront of the Reconstruction was what rights were to be granted to Freedmen as a result of their new citizenship. While many people agreed that there should be “separate but equal” status, there were also a great number of people who fought for equality among all citizens of the United States. The 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments were all passed during the Reconstruction in response to these different points of view, each of which addressed the rights of African Americans in the United States. Lincoln announced his plan to start admitting Confederate states back into the Union, but like much of the time to follow, Congress had their own intentions. When Lincoln was assassinated in 1865, 5 days after the Civil War ended, Vice President Andrew Johnson took over the Reconstruction and began to reunite the United States. Many of these conflicts resulted in different political groups, many of which were represented during the elections during the Reconstruction. These groups were often associated with the North and South despite their reconciliation. © Copyright NewPath Learning. All Rights Reserved. Permission is granted for the purchaser to print copies for non-commercial educational purposes only. Visit us at www.NewPathLearning.com.