The correct statement regarding how presidential and congressional reconstruction plans differed is:
The president wanted to bring seceded states back into the Union as quickly as possible.
President Abraham Lincoln, and later President Andrew Johnson, advocated for a more lenient and rapid reintegration of the Southern states into the Union, while Congress, particularly the Radical Republicans, pushed for more stringent measures and protections for African Americans and a slower process that would ensure greater accountability for the South.
The other statements are not accurate:
- The president did not necessarily believe Congress would be too soft on Southern "rebels"; rather, he sought leniency in reintegration.
- The president did not propose that Southerners pay steep fines for damages caused by the war; rather, he favored leniency.
- Congress did pass laws that granted African Americans citizenship rights, particularly with the 14th Amendment, although this was a contentious issue during Reconstruction.