The Failure of Presidential Reconstruction Summary and Analysis

In Chapter 5, Foner describes the policies of President Andrew Johnson toward the south and how they affected the course of Reconstruction. Johnson came to the presidency after the death of Abraham Lincoln. Like Lincoln, he had come from humble beginnings and had achieved moderate success through hard work. He had risen through several elected positions before being elected Lincoln's Vice President.

At first, radical Republicans who favored more rights for blacks thought they had an ally in Johnson. He stated publicly his opinion that traitors to the country ought to be severely punished, which the radicals interpreted as in line with their opinion that the former slave owners of the South ought to be excluded from any influence in the reformation of southern state governments. Furthermore, radical Republicans called not only for the...