Decision NINE: WHAT TO DO WITH CONFEDERATE LEADERS?

• Officially, Confederate leaders committed treason. They engaged in insurrection and rebellion. The normal punishment for treason was execution. The leading Confederates included Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee, and Alexander Stephens. Many in the North cried out for prosecutions, convictions, and executions. Watch this video listing several of these requests:

• President Lincoln, on the other hand, was highly opposed to prosecuting Confederates for war crimes. Watch his explanation below:

DECISION: You are President Andrew Johnson.  What do you do with the Confederate leaders?

Click here to find out what actually happened.