Final answer:
Johnson's lenient reconstruction policies led to the swift readmission of Louisiana to the Union, often did not protect African Americans from violence, and resulted in conflict between Johnson and Congress. These policies were a softer approach compared to Radical Republicans' desires for a more thorough restructuring of the South.
Step-by-step explanation:
As a result of President Johnson's lenient reconstruction policies, Southern states, including Louisiana, were readmitted to the Union with relatively mild conditions. Johnson's approach offered amnesty and property restoration to many former Confederates, except for high-ranking officials and wealthy landowners, provided they pledged loyalty to the United States. His policies also required states to repudiate war debts, ratify the Thirteenth Amendment, declare secession null and void, and draft new constitutions. However, these lenient policies did not go far enough to ensure the rights of freed people or to transform Southern society fundamentally.
Johnson's lenient strategy contrasted with the Radical Republicans' push for a more thorough restructuring of Southern institutions and greater rights for freed African Americans. The softer Reconstruction approach in states like Louisiana often failed to protect African Americans from violence and discrimination, and they faced tremendous challenges as they sought land, education, financial security, and political participation. Despite the optimism from Lincoln's era, the slow pace of change and Johnson's confrontational politics ultimately led to conflicts with Congress, which favored a harder line on Reconstruction.