Sec notes free essay sample

Two months later, Congress passed the Civil Rights Act, which gave African Americans citizenship and forbade states from passing discriminatory laws- black codes- that severely restricted African Americans lives. Johnson vetoed both the Freedmans Bureau Act and the Civil Rights Acts of 1866, shocking everyone, he alienated the modern Republicans who were trying to improve his Reconstruction plan by doing this. II. Congressional Reconstruction Moderates and Radicals Join Forces Moderate Republicans joined with Radicals to override the presidents vetoes;The Civil Rights Act of 1 866 became the first major legislation ever enacted over a presidential veto. Congress enacted the Fourteenth Amendment, which provided a constitutional basis for the Civil Rights Act. President Johnson advised the Southern states to reject the amendment, thus all but Tennessee rejected it and the amendment was not ratified until 1868. 1866 Congressional Elections The question of who should control Reconstruction became one of the central issues in the bitter 1 866 congressional elections. We will write a custom essay sample on Sec notes or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Johnson went on urging voters to elect Representatives who agreed with his Reconstruction logic.Johnson offended many voters with his rough language and behavior. At the election of 1 866, moderate and Radical Republicans won by a landslide over the Democrats; and by March 1867, the 40th Congress was ready to move ahead with its Reconstruction policy. Reconstruction Act of 1867 Radicals and moderates joined in passing the Reconstruction Act Of 1867, which did not recognize state governments formed under the Lincoln and Johnson Plans- except for Tennessee. The act divided ten former Confederate states and turned them into five military districts, each headed by a Union mineral.In order the reenter the Union, a state had to ensure that African- American men could vote, and the state had to ratify the Fourteenth Amendment. Johnson Impeached Radical leaders felt President Johnson was not carrying out his constitutional obligation to enforce the Reconstruction Act. The radicals looked for grounds on which to impeach the president- to formally charge him with misconduct in office. The House has the sole power to impeach federal officials, who are then tried in the Senate. In March 1 867, Congress passed the Tenure of OfficeAct which stated that the president could not remove cabinet officers during the term of the president by whom they might have been appointed without the consent of the Senate. When Johnson fired Secretary of War Stanton, his action provoked Radicals with the opportunity so the House brought 1 1 charges of Impeachment ag ainst Johnson. The vote was 35 to 19, one short of the two-thirds majority needed. Ulysses S