Radical Reconstruction

The Radical Republicans believed that blacks should have the same rights and opportunities as the whites. They also believe that the Confederate leaders deserve to be punished for their roles in the Civil War. Leaders of Pennsylvania and Massachusetts strongly disagree with Andrew Johnson's lenient policies. This caused much political uproar. It would cause a great political war.

Americans had thought for a long time that the federal government played too large of a role in the affairs of state. But the Radicals felt that times like these called for direct intervention in state affairs and laws, which designed to protect the freed slaves. At the core of their beliefs was the idea that black slaves must be given a chance to compete in a free-labor economy. In 1866, the Radical Republicans also introduced a bill to lengthen the Freedmen's Bureau and began to work on a Civil Rights Bill.

President Johnson completely disagreed with the Radical Republicans. He vetoed the Freedmen's Bureau Bill, because he said that it would increase the size of government. He vetoed the Civil Rights Bill as well. Moderate Republicans were disgusted at Johnson's racism. They joined the Radicals to undo Johnson's Civil Rights Act veto. This was the first time in history that a major piece of legislation was overturned. The Radicals hoped that the Civil Rights Act would lead to a federal judicial branch with courts that enforced rights.

Congress then focused on amending the Constitution. In 1867 the Fourteenth Amendment was approved, which prohibited "states from abridging equality before the law." The second part of the Amendment called for a reduction of a state's representatives if the right to vote was denied. Republicans basically offered the South a choice — accept black freedom or lose congressional representation.

I think that the Radical Republicans faced so much opposition because the issue they were fighting against was a very controversial one at the time. Many people believe that they were the cause of the failure of this policy. I'm not sure if I think they were the whole reason for this failure but I think they were at least partially responsible.