The passage summarizes key events and issues during the Reconstruction era from 1867-1877 following the Civil War. It discusses the devastation in the South after the war, Lincoln's assassination, and competing plans for Reconstruction from Congress and President Johnson. The Radical Republicans sought harsh treatment of the South, while Johnson favored a more lenient approach. His vetoes of bills like the Freedmen's Bureau Act and Civil Rights Act angered Republicans. This divide led to the passage of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments establishing rights for freed slaves.