Reconstruction: A Failure The Civil War was perhaps the greatest tragedy this country had ever faced. Years of constant arguments, compromises, and cynical ideas about slavery pushed the so-called “United Nation” into an excruciating collision between abolitionists in the North and pro-slavery farmers and plantation owners in the South. The nation suffered enormous economic losses and entered in a downward spiral. The reconstruction period began with many leaders stepping forward to try to heal this crippled country, but things did not go as everyone hoped. Slavery was still the biggest problem and reconstruction stopped due to the disagreements people faced. After many years of work, compromises and passing laws, the task proved impossible, as the country remained to be separated. The lack of unity was present because most of the amendments, laws, and regulations passed during Reconstruction were created to protect and secure the rights of African Americans. However, the South continued to promote slavery and "put blacks in their place" well into the 1950s. President Lincoln was elected president at a horrible time for the country, but he still fought to do his best. After the Civil War, Lincoln's main goal was to rebuild the North but keep the South happy. His plans were to make rebuilding the North a main focal point and to distribute 10% of the damage done to the South to help rebuild . President Lincoln thought that states that seceded last should be considered less culpable than those that seceded first. He gave more money to Arkansas, Louisiana, Tennessee, and Virginia and treated them better because they were the last to secede. Along with his Reconstruction plans came the Radical Republicans who were a small minority in congress. They were very strict about giving all rights to African Americans and wanted to punish the south. All these ideas and plans for Lincoln were all good ideas and could have been successful, but they ended abruptly when Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth in 1865. After the tragedy of Lincoln's death, Vice President Andrew Johnson stepped up to the presidential position and initiated its reconstruction plans; his too would prove to be a failure. He supported basic democratic principles and the restoration of Southern power. He brought the remaining states back into the Constitution. Him