As compared to the Reconstruction plans of Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson, the Congressional Reconstruction plan was more focused on which of the following?

Question

A) punishing Southern states for seceding.
B) protecting Southern business interests.
C) punishing "border states" for not supporting the Union.
D) protecting the political rights of African Americans.

Answer 1

The Congressional Reconstruction plan was more focused on:

D) protecting the political rights of African Americans.

Congressional Reconstruction, particularly under the leadership of the Radical Republicans, sought to ensure civil rights and political representation for freedmen and to transform Southern society through measures such as the 14th and 15th Amendments, which aimed to secure citizenship and voting rights for African Americans. In contrast, Lincoln's and Johnson's plans were generally more lenient towards the Southern states and did not prioritize the political rights of African Americans to the same extent.