Reconstruction
After the Civil War the Federal Government began rebuilding from the damage the war created in the south. Southern soldiers got to just return home after the war to repair their homes and fields if damage had been done. One event in the reconstruction was the creation of the 13th Amendment. It freed the slaves and completely changed how the South made money. The South was so used to relying on slave labor when slavery was over after the war they didn't know how to go on. Many grew poorer and/or started hiring people to work on their farms. They payed the people very little though. Many farmers could no longer afford to keep up huge plantations, and they began focusing on farming to feed their small families. Another important event in the reconstruction of the Civil war was Freedmen's Bureau. Freedmen's Bureau supplied food, housing, medical aid, schooling, and legal assistance for the millions of slaves that were freed after the civil war. Reconstruction lasted 12 year; from 1865 to 1877. The purpose of this reconstruction was to help the south become part of the Union again. They had to rebuild and repair tons of destroyed buildings, houses, and fields in the south. An important person in reconstruction was beloved Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln prepared a lot for reconstruction. He wanted to reconnect the south to the rest of the United States. His plan was greatly focused on forgiving the south for succeeding. He introduced his Ten-Percent Plan which allowed each Southern State to be aloud back in the Union as long as 10 percent of its voting population swore an oath of allegiance to the Union. Another important person was Andrew Johnson. Johnson was president after Lincoln was assassinated. Johnson though it was he should help the south reconstruct after the war, not Congress. He recognized the new states government because of the Ten-Percent plan. He took reconstruction of the Southern states into his own hands, even without congress's consent.