Which Reconstruction plan placed the South under military rule and required stronger protections for African Americans?

• A. Lincoln's Reconstruction Plan
• B. Johnson's Reconstruction Plan
• C. Congress' Plan
• D. Freedmen's Bureau

Answer: (C)

Understanding how Reconstruction plans shaped who governed the South and how African American rights were protected is key here. Congress' plan, often called Radical Reconstruction, placed the Southern states under military rule, dividing the region into five military districts governed by Union generals. This military oversight was meant to enforce new policies and protect newly won rights. It also required stronger protections for African Americans, pushing for new state constitutions that guaranteed civil rights and laid the groundwork for ratifying the 14th Amendment and expanding voting rights. By contrast, Lincoln's plan aimed for a quick, lenient reintegration with few guarantees, and Johnson's plan was even more lenient, allowing many former Confederates back into power with limited protections. The Freedmen's Bureau, while important for aid and support to freed people, was a federal agency rather than a comprehensive plan to reorganize Southern governance and protections.