What was the significant requirement of the Wade-Davis Bill regarding the loyalty oath?

The Wade-Davis Bill, proposed in 1864 during the American Civil War, required that 50% of the white male voters in a former Confederate state take a loyalty oath to the Union before that state could be readmitted. This requirement was significant because it represented a more stringent approach to Reconstruction than President Lincoln's Ten Percent Plan, which only required 10% of voters to take the oath. By mandating a higher threshold, the Wade-Davis Bill aimed to ensure that Reconstruction would involve a more comprehensive commitment to loyalty and allegiance among the populace of the southern states, making it more difficult for former Confederates to regain political power. This approach also highlighted the tensions within the Republican Party regarding the best strategies to reunite and rebuild the nation after the war.