Question

How was Abraham Lincoln's plan for Southern Reconstruction, known as the 10% Plan, characterized by the Radical Republicans?

Answer 1

The Radical Republicans criticized Lincoln's 10% Plan as being too lenient towards the Southern states that had seceded from the Union. They believed that the plan did not do enough to ensure civil rights for freed slaves and to punish Confederate leaders. They also felt that the plan allowed for former Confederate officials to be reinstated in government positions too easily. Overall, the Radical Republicans saw the 10% Plan as lacking in strong measures to ensure full Reconstruction of the South.