Radical Reconstruction

Once President Johnson lost control over Reconstruction, it became a battle within the Republican Party. Moderates and Radicals both ultimately wanted to protect the rights of blacks, but political objectives would partly stand in the way. Nevertheless, Radical Reconstruction ushered in the election of black politicians, the Military Reconstruction Acts, and the 14th and 15th Amendments.

Image courtesy of the Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division.