What was Lincoln's plan for Reconstruction commonly called, and what did it require for a Southern state to rejoin the Union?

• A. The 10 Percent Plan; 10% of a former Confederate state's voters to take an oath of loyalty and accept emancipation.
• B. The Wade-Davis Bill; 50% loyalty oath and guarantees for emancipation.
• C. The 13th Amendment Plan; Abolish slavery.
• D. The Presidential Reconstruction Plan; Lenient terms.

Answer: (A)

The question tests understanding of Lincoln’s approach to bringing the Union back together and the conditions for southern readmission. Lincoln’s plan was commonly called the 10 Percent Plan. It proposed that a former Confederate state could be readmitted once 10% of the voters who had cast ballots in the 1860 election swore an oath of loyalty to the United States and accepted emancipation of enslaved people. After meeting that threshold, the state could establish a new government and regain representation in Congress. The idea was to move quickly and leniently, aiming for reconciliation rather than punishment, while ensuring emancipation was acknowledged.

This plan contrasts with the Wade-Davis Bill, which would have imposed a much stricter requirement (50% loyalty) and stronger guarantees for emancipation, reflecting a more congressional, punitive approach. The option about abolishing slavery recalls the 13th Amendment, a crucial change but not a specific Reconstruction readmission plan. The broad label of a lenient Presidential Reconstruction Plan is accurate in spirit, but the commonly recognized name for Lincoln’s approach is the 10 Percent Plan.