Question

T/F by the end of the summer of 1865, many of the wealthiest rebel confederates who seceded from the union had received presidential pardons, and were able to vote, make laws, and have their property restored to them.

Answer 1

By the end of summer 1865, through President Johnson's Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction, many wealthy Confederates received presidential pardons, restoring their properties and political rights, excluding enslaved people. However, high-ranking Confederate officers, political leaders, and anyone with property worth over $20,000 were exempted but could regain their rights if they applied for a personal pardon. This leniency was resisted by the Radical Republicans.

Step-by-step explanation:

True, by the end of summer 1865, some of the wealthy rebel Confederates indeed received presidential pardons on account of President Johnson's Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction. This proclamation granted widespread pardon and amnesty to rebellious Southerners while restoring their properties, with the significant exception of those they had enslaved. However, certain classes of Southerners were specifically exempted from this proclamation, including high-ranking Confederate officers, the political leadership, and anyone with taxable property worth over $20,000.

Still, these individuals could regain their rights if they applied for a personal pardon from President Johnson. This paved the way for some former Confederate leaders to be part of the Union government eventually. However, this was met with considerable resentment from the so-called Radical Republicans in Congress, who sought severe treatment and significant changes in the Southern states after the Civil War.

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