How did the nation reunite?

1. Presidential Reconstruction: President Andrew Johnson's plan focused on a quick restoration of the Southern states to the Union, with minimal punishment for Confederate leaders. However, Johnson faced opposition from the Radical Republicans in Congress, who favored stricter measures to ensure the rights of freed slaves and punish the Confederacy.

2. Congressional Reconstruction: After the Republican gains in the 1866 midterm elections, the Radical Republicans took control of Congress and implemented their own Reconstruction policies. These policies included the Reconstruction Acts of 1867-1868, which divided the South into military districts, required Southern states to ratify the 14th and 15th Amendments, and enfranchised African American men.

3. African American Suffrage: The 14th and 15th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution were ratified in 1868 and 1870, respectively. The 14th Amendment granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the United States, including former slaves. The 15th Amendment prohibited states from depriving citizens the right to vote based on race.

4. Military Reconstruction: The South was under military occupation during Reconstruction, with federal troops stationed in the region to enforce the new policies and protect the rights of African Americans. Military Reconstruction lasted until 1877, when the last federal troops were withdrawn from the South.

5. Compromise of 1877: The disputed presidential election of 1876 led to a political compromise that resulted in the withdrawal of federal troops from the South and the end of Reconstruction. This compromise paved the way for the resurgence of white supremacy in the South and the Jim Crow era of segregation and discrimination.