When something is ineffective, it means that it does not achieve the desired results or goals. In this context, President Andrew Johnson's approach towards reconstruction was considered ineffective because it did not successfully address the issues and challenges faced by the nation after the Civil War.
Related terms
Radical Reconstruction: A more aggressive approach to rebuilding and reforming Southern states after the Civil War.
Black Codes: Laws enacted in Southern states that severely restricted the rights and freedoms of African Americans.
Sharecropping: A system where former slaves would work on land owned by others in exchange for a portion of their crops as payment.