Ten percent plan facts for kids

The Ten Percent Plan was a special idea from President Abraham Lincoln during the American Civil War. He announced it on December 8, 1863. The war had been going on for almost three years. The Union Army had won back parts of the South. Some Southern states were ready to rejoin the United States. Lincoln's plan showed them how to rebuild their governments and become part of the country again. This time was called Reconstruction.

Lincoln's Plan for Rebuilding

This plan was part of Lincoln's bigger idea to rebuild the South after the war. It said that a state that had fought against the U.S. government could come back into the Union. To do this, 10% of the people who voted in that state in 1860 had to promise loyalty to the U.S. They also had to agree to end slavery.

After taking this promise, voters could choose people to write new state rules. They could then set up new state governments. Most Southerners would get a full pardon, meaning they would not be punished. This included everyone except high-ranking Confederate army officers and government leaders. Lincoln promised to protect their private property. However, he would not protect their slaves.

By 1864, some states like Louisiana, Tennessee, and Arkansas had already set up new governments. These governments supported the Union.

Lincoln hoped this plan would help end the war faster. It offered a fair way for states to make peace. It also helped his plan to end slavery. This was because new state governments had to get rid of slavery.

How People Reacted

The U.S. Congress had strong feelings about Lincoln's plan. Most moderate Republicans in Congress liked his idea. They wanted the war to end quickly. But other Republicans worried that rich plantation owners would get their power back. They also feared that Black people would be forced back into slavery.

Lincoln's plan for the South was gentle. He wanted people to support his Emancipation Proclamation, which freed slaves. He worried that if his plan was too strict, his political party might lose the election in 1864. He also feared that Democrats might try to undo his proclamation.

The Radical Republicans did not like Lincoln's plan. They thought it was too easy on the South. These Republicans believed the South started the war. They felt the South should be punished more.

Radical Republicans wanted to control how the South was rebuilt. They hoped to change Southern society. They wanted to break up the power of the rich plantation owners. They also wanted to give land to former slaves and help build new industries. Most importantly, they wanted to make sure former slaves had civil liberties, or basic rights.

Even though Radical Republicans were a smaller group in Congress, they convinced many moderate members. They became very powerful in Congress later on. In the summer of 1864, the Radical Republicans passed a new bill. It was called the Wade–Davis Bill. They thought Lincoln's plan was too gentle. Their new bill would make it much harder for states to rejoin the Union. This bill said that most people in a state, not just ten percent, had to promise loyalty. Lincoln later stopped this bill from becoming law. This is called a pocket veto.