What did Congressional Reconstruction advocate regarding secession?

The focus of Congressional Reconstruction emphasized the notion that secession was illegal. Congressional leaders believed that the Southern states had never truly left the Union and that their acts of secession were unconstitutional. This perspective was crucial as Congress aimed to redefine the relationship between the federal government and the Southern states in the post-Civil War era. By advocating for the illegality of secession, Congressional reconstruction sought to establish a framework for reintegrating the Southern states into the Union under conditions that would safeguard the rights of newly freed African Americans and ensure a loyal political structure.

Congressional Reconstruction implemented measures such as the Reconstruction Acts, which required Southern states to create new constitutions that guaranteed civil rights and ultimately ratify the Fourteenth Amendment in order to be readmitted to the Union. By framing secession as illegal, Congress aimed to strengthen federal authority and address the issues that arose from the Civil War, including the status of former Confederates and the rights of former slaves.