Under Presidential Reconstruction, which of the following was true?

Under Presidential Reconstruction, the assertion that secession was deemed illegal is accurate. After the Civil War, President Andrew Johnson's approach focused on restoring the Union and integrating the Southern states back into the political framework of the United States. While he offered lenient terms for the readmission of these states, it was understood that secession had failed, and thus, the Southern states were considered to have never successfully left the Union in a legal sense. This perspective set the stage for the subsequent Reconstruction Era as the government worked to redefine the relationship between the states and the federal authority.

In contrast, the other statements do not align with the historical practices of Presidential Reconstruction. For instance, not all Confederate leaders were tried for treason; instead, many were granted amnesty. The military occupation of Southern states primarily occurred during Radical Reconstruction, which followed Presidential Reconstruction and emphasized harsher terms for reentry into the Union. Furthermore, during Presidential Reconstruction, there was a lack of strict federal control over Southern governments, which aimed to avoid alienating white Southerners and restoring civil authority more quickly.