President Abraham Lincoln issued his Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction, offering a full pardon and restoration of property (except for enslaved people) to Confederates who pledged loyalty to the Union and accepted the abolition of slavery. This was the first step toward reintegrating the Southern states into the Union after the Civil War and laid the groundwork for Reconstruction. The policy also opened the door for discussions around Black citizenship and civil rights in the post-war United States.
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