Radical Rebublicans in reconstruction

What did radical Republicans want from reconstruction?

 

    The radical republicans of the hoped to achieve many things during reconstruction, one of these things was to destroy the political power of the owners of former slaveholders. They especially wanted to make African Americans citizens and give them the right to vote. The Radical Republicans believed African Americans had the same political rights and opportunities as whites. They also believed that the Confederate leaders should be punished for their roles in the Civil War. The radicals wanted to destroy these slaveholder Leeds power al together. They believed that these people would try and bring back slavery if they had people in government power. People like like Thaddeus Stevens opposed Andrew Johnson's lenient policies. 

     The radicals motivation was differentiated into three categories; revenge, concern for the freedom and welfare of former slaves, and political concerns. The radical’s desire for revenge stemmed from the fact that they wanted to punish the south for causing the war and felt that they were getting off easy. The radicals concern for the welfare of former slaves was because some believed that the federal government had a role to play in the transition of freedmen from slavery to freedom. They wanted the slaves to not only have equal rights as men, but also that they be accepted into society and the American workforce. The radical Republican’s political concerns were that the radicals wanted to keep the Republican Party in power in both the North and the south. 

    The radicals and their leader, Thaddeus Stevens, had many great ideas of equality but they were just too radical and forced and took the wrong approach. The Radicals believed in harsh punishments for the south and were just too angered by Lincoln’s leniency towards the south. They wanted to south to pay for their crimes and felt that they were accepted to easily back into the union.