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Johnson And The Radical Republicans Essay

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Johnson and the Radical Republicans fought fiercely over Reconstruction. The main source of conflict between President Johnson and the Radical Republicans in Congress was caused by their belief that Johnson was a Southern sympathizer who would undermine Congress' plans for Reconstruction. Johnson wanted to let the Confederate states back into the Union if a certain number of them would swear allegiance to the U.S. He was for allowing states’ rights and did not want to give any rights or citizenship to African-Americans. Johnson seemed to move slowly on Reconstruction efforts. I believe that, initially, Lincoln had certain things he wanted to have put in place to help Reconstruction go more smoothly. But Lincoln was assassinated and …show more content…

They wanted the South to lose their rights and not get back their lands confiscated by the Union. Johnson worked against the Radical Republicans by vetoing the Freedman's Aid Bill, the Civil Rights Bill, and blocking the 14th amendment that gave African-Americans U.S. citizenship. The Freedman’s Act was going to extend the life of the Freedmen's Bureau, a War Department agency that helped African-Americans and white people as well. Congress tried to overturn Johnson’s veto, but they were not successful at doing so. The Civil Rights Act of 1866 was a bill that extended citizenship to freed slaves and guaranteed them "equal protection of the laws." Johnson felt that this Act overstepped the boundaries of central government. He felt this kind of decision should be left up to individual states, so he vetoed it. However, this time Congress managed to gather enough votes to override Johnson’s veto. Eventually, in 1866, the Radical Republicans won control of Congress and passed Reconstruction legislation over Johnson's veto. The Southern states were put under Army rule; African-Americans were registered as voters; 10,000 ex-Confederate leaders were …show more content…

It was at this time that the Radical Republicans decided to go forward with impeachment proceedings in the House of Representative. The measure was approved and a trial was held in the Senate. A vote was held, two-thirds majority vote was needed, but the measure failed by one vote. Further voting only ended with the same results. Ulysses S. Grant was president from 1869-1877, his primary focus was reunification and reconstruction of the country after the Civil War. Among his accomplishments, Grant pardoned Confederate leaders, passed the 15th Amendment, gave protection for the Native Americans, sought for free education for everyone, instituted civil service reform, and “signed legislation aimed at limiting the activities of white terrorist groups like the Ku Klux Klan that used violence to intimidate blacks and prevent them from voting. At various times, the president stationed federal troops throughout the South to maintain law and order. Critics charged that Grant’s actions violated states’ rights, while others contended that the president did not do enough to protect freedmen.” (history.com) Grant also set up the Department of Justice, the

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