Lincoln never laid out a specific plan for reconstruction. Still, if he had lived, all the evidence points us toward four paths to reconstruction which he would likely have adopted: Voting rights, Economic integration, Western development, Cleaning the Confederate slate. Bear in mind, though, that whatever Lincoln’s intentions, he would have faced stiff opposition. Even Abraham Lincoln might not have been able to bulldoze his way to a triumphant “Mission Accomplished.” But it is hard to imagine how we could have done worse. One hundred and fifty years later, we are still struggling to do better.
