442 The Reconstruction Acts ,1867
The Congressional elections of November ,1866, were greatly in favor of the Republicans . The Republican members of Congress felt that this showed that the North was with them in their policy as to reconstruction . Congress met in December ,1866, and at once set to work to carry out this policy . First of all it passed the Tenure of Office Act to prevent Johnson dismissing Republicans from office . Then it passed the Reconstruction Act . Johnson vetoed both of these measures , and Congress passed them both over his veto . The Reconstruction Act was later amended and strengthened . It will be well to describe here the process of re - construction in its final form . First of all the seceded states , with the exception of Tennes - see , were formed into military districts . Each district was ruled by a military officer who had soldiers to carry out his directions . Tennessee was not included in this arrangement , because it had accepted the Fourteenth Amendment . But all the other states , which had been re - constructed by Lincoln or by Johnson , were to be reconstructed over again . The franchise was given to all men , white or black , who had lived in any state for one year -- excepting criminals and persons who had taken part in rebellion . This exception took the franchise away from the old rulers of the South . These new vot - ers could form a state constitution and elect a legislature which should ratify the Fourteenth Amendment . When all this had been done , Senators and Representatives from the recon -
structed state might be admitted to Congress .
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