The reconstruction approach by Congress was somewhat radical. A section of Republicans overrode Johnson’s veto on the Civil Rights bill through a Congressional vote whose outcome was: (Senate 33: 15) and House (122: 41). . Meanwhile, Johnson vetoed the Freedmen’s Bureau Bill and Congress retaliated as they did with the previous bill and successfully overrode his veto setting in force the Freedmen’s Bureau Act (Nelson, 1988 p 97).

US Congress’ proposed reconstruction involved as well the adoption of reconstruction amendments i.e. the XIII, XIV and XV Amendments to the US Constitution. Amendment XIII sanctioned the abolition of slavery and slave trade while Amendment XIV guaranteed citizenship and granted civil rights to American citizens and the freedmen alike. The 15th amendment in turn prevented denial of voting rights on grounds of race, color or previous conditions of servitude (ibid).

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