The Civil War ended about a month after Pres. Lincoln's 2nd term started and while it saved the Union, it shook a nation that faced many difficult decisions. Much of the South was in ruins, 258,000 Confederate soldiers had died, people had to rebuild and freed slaves needed help. This period of physical, legal and economic rebuilding is known as Reconstruction. Lincoln's 10% Plan was one way for a Southern State to rejoin the Union. He believed punishing the South would only delay healing a torn nation. Many Republicans in Congress, known as radical Republicans felt Lincoln was being too easy on the South and that Congress, not the Pres., should oversee Reconstruction & they passed the Wade-Davis Bill in 1864, which Lincoln refused to sign. Reconstruction aimed to help freed African Americans. Overseen by the war dept., the Freedmen's Bureau distributed food, clothing, provided medical services and est. schools, gave aid to historically Black colleges & universities (HBCU) in the South. It helped freed people to acquire land, free transportation to work & to obtain fair wages. Bella scored 89%/B+ on the Civil War test she took at home last Friday, 1/28. Good job!