After the Civil War, America went through a period of reconstruction. It was then that the former Confederate states were readmitted to the Union. Lincoln had a plan that would allow them to return, but they would not be able to do so easily. It would make 10% of the population swear an oath of allegiance and establish a government to be recognized. However, he was assassinated at Ford's Theater and Andrew Johnson became president; Johnson provided an easy path for the Southerners. Congress tried its best to provide equal rights to freedmen, but failed due to groups opposing Reconstruction, white Southern Democrats gaining control within the government, and the lack of a plan in place for newly freedmen . One of the first things that happened was that groups organized themselves to intimidate people into opposing reconstruction. One of these groups was the Ku Klux Klan who went around anonymously to commit acts of atrocities against those who supported reconstruction and equal rights for the African Americas. Document 2 shows that they were totally against it; their aim is said to have been “to establish a nucleus around which” the adherents of the late rebellion could rally in safety.” This simply shows that they would not accept Southern reform and wanted to find as many supporters as they could. As is known, they threatened citizens at the polls to vote for groups that supported their views and influenced the elections. Document 4 is further evidence that some people refused to accept Reconstruction. “Let white leagues be formed in every city… it's time to meet brute force with brute force… it's time for us to organize ourselves.” These groups terrorized people and made them afraid to show their… pieces of paper… without providing them with anything. This would prove to be a serious blow to their future and to any equal rights they needed. With the combination of the above mentioned, freedmen were deprived of many basic rights. They couldn't vote, they were killed and preyed upon mercilessly and many other terrible things. Southern white Democrats took advantage of their overwhelming power in Congress and did not pass rights to protect freedmen; groups such as the KKK and the White Leagues intimidated and killed freedmen and those who supported them; and Congress had no plan for the slaves when they freed them. With all these events together, freedmen did not have equal rights. They were “separate but equal.” With the combination of these incidents, the consequence was that Congress ultimately failed in its efforts to secure equal rights for freedmen.