Reconstruction Opinion Poll

Lincoln believed the South was rebelling illegally, and the Confederacy never existed?

Do you believe the South had a right to leave the Union or was it an illegal rebellion?

• Lincoln was wrong--South had a right to leave & form a new country (Confederacy--just like the U.S. did from England)

• Lincoln was right South was rebelling, not a new country

Which of the following do you believe BEST explains what should happen to the Ex Confederate "States"after the Civil War?

• South should be quickly & easily readmitted--Confederacy did not exist, never stopped being States. (Quick and Lenient)

• South should lose their Statehood’s and be treated as territories. They have to reapply to be States again with new State constitutions approved by Federal Government. (Punish)

After the Civil War, there was an argument on who had power to return states to the Union.

Who should have the power to decide when and how Southern States are readmitted?

• The President should decide when and how

• Congress should decide when and how

What to do with South:

Do you think all the people in the Southern rebelling states lost their citizenship and "constitutional rights" when they became the Confederacy?

• YES

• NO

What to do with South:

Should people in the South be REQUIRED to do SOMETHING (TBD) to become citizens of the United States again?

• Yes, now I think they lost their citizenship because of the war they should have some requirement to come back.

• No, all is forgiven when the war ended they became citizens again with all their rights returned.

What to do with the South:

Do you think requiring a person in the South to "swear in front of a northern official" they were wrong for leaving the Union and are loyal to the U.S. and its laws is a fair requirement to become a citizen again?

• YES, that is a simple enough request to get our rights back

• NO, that is humiliating and the North should leave southerners alone

What to do with the South:

Should a percentage of each state people have to swear loyalty documents to the U.S. before allowing their State to be readmitted?

• Yes--states should not be allowed back in until enough citizens swear a Loyalty Oath

• No--States should be readmitted without a requirement for people to swear a Loyalty Oath

What to do with the South:

What percentage of the Ex Confederate citizens of a Southern territory should have to swear Loyalty Oath to the U.S. ( i.e. regain citizenship) before you readmit the State they live in?

• 10%

• 50%

• 90% to 100%

The Civil War led to the death of hundreds of thousands of deaths and billions in damage.

Should members of the Confederate government (example Jefferson Davis) be arrested and put on trial for treason? (could mean long prison terms or execution)

• Yes

• No

The Civil War led to the death of hundreds of thousands of deaths and billions in damage

Should Military leaders (officers) be arrested and put on trial for treason? (Could long prison terms or even execution)

• Yes

• No