After the Civil War the United states was in shambles. It was up to America to work together and strengthen the nation. It was not all fun in games. In fact there were many, MANY complications and people trying to get in the way of what was right. Eventually the country would succeed in the goal to reconstruct.
The Sad Truth
After the war the south was all kinds of discombobulated! Newly freed slaves were FREE. African Americans were very VERY often left homeless and starving. They were discriminated against more than ever. Even after they volunteered to fight in the war to show pride in the country that enslaved and tortured them. Sadly the south wasn't the only only ones discriminating. The north was very often spitting on and pushing blacks around. They couldn't get jobs because nobody would hire them. Many Africans were forced to go back tot heir plantation owners where they would at least be fed with a place to sleep.
Lincoln Plan
Abraham Lincoln had a plan that if he were to be lenient to the South then maybe just maybe they would cooperate and things would move smoothly. Lincoln gave a pardon to everyone except people who were military officials for the confederacy and killed african american war prisoners. He figured that he was going to put the war behind him and give the south a chance to redeem themselves. He did have a few rules. This would prevent the South from walking all over him and his government. He decided that the south would have a 10% plan where the south could be apart of a constitutional convention if 10% of their voters swore not to be part of the Confederacy but be part of the Union. This was the plan up until he was assassinated on April 15th 1865.
Johnson Plan
Johnson became president after the assassination of Lincoln. He has a plan for Reconstruction similar to Lincoln. Except Johnson was MUCH more lenient to the South! Johnson made it to where ANYONE would be pardoned. Not only that but ANYONE could attend for the Constitutional Convention. Not only states with 10% commitment. Johnson pretty much took away ANY form of punishment for the south.
Radical Republicans
Radical Republicans wanted nothing more but for the Southerners to suffer for their actions. They did not support the south. They were able to live with Lincoln's Reconstruction plan. Granted they did feel like the south needed more then a slap on the wrist. When Johnson pretty much patted the backs of the south like you would a child after they make a cut little mistake totally threw them off and caused great resentment. The radicals wanted the south to pay.