Lincoln's Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction

In the last post, I mentioned December 8, 1863, as being the date of Abraham Lincoln's Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction.

This was a plan to reunite the country after the Union victory, which was looking more and more likely.  Large parts of the South were now  in Federal hands.

The Proclamation was divided into three main parts:

1.  Full pardon and restoration of property (except former slaves) to all engaged in the rebellion except for the highest Confederate officials and military leaders.

2.  New state governments could be formed when 10% of eligible voters has taken the Oath of Allegiance to the United States.

3.  Newly admitted Southern states would be encouraged to enact plans to deal with the freed slaves so long as their freedom was not compromised.

This was Lincoln seizing the initiative from Congress.

--Old SecAmnesty