by Nick Muccio

Created on: March 25, 2010   Last Updated: March 27, 2010

Radical Republicans held an important role during reconstruction. Radicals were mainly ignored and aggravated by congress. They fought to begin their own party. Radicals believed in ending slavery and making the black man equal to the whites. They put up a strong fight for independence and freedom.

President Lincoln deeply aggravated the Radical Republicans. This was due to Lincoln’s slow acceptance of blacks into the Union Army. However this was not the only action Lincoln took that aggravated the Radical Republicans. For example 1861, General Fremont announced that all slaves owned by Confederates in Missouri were free. Lincoln had other ideas as he thought this would cause slave-owners in nearby states to join the Confederate Army. Lincoln modified the General's orders to free only slaves owned by Missourians actively working for the south. This led to a series of events dealing with black members joining the armed forces.

Radical Republicans believed that white power should be reduced in southern states. Even during the war Radical Republicans stood their post as Charles Sumner argued: “A humane and civilized people cannot suddenly become inhumane and uncivilized. We cannot be cruel, or barbarous, or savage, because the Rebels we now meet in warfare are cruel, barbarous and savage. We cannot imitate the detested example."

Radical Republicans didn’t stop when President Andrew Johnson was elected either. They strongly argued that plantations in the south should be taken from their owners and divided amongst the slaves that once worked them. Radical Republicans fought to get the Reconstruction Acts passed in 1867 and 1868 and eventually did. The fourteenth amendment granted citizenship to and protected the civil liberties of freed slaves. The Reconstruction act divided the south into five military districts under different generals. New elections were held in each state which allowed freed black slaves to vote.

Radical Republicans had to fight to be seen and acknowledged. They stood their ground very well and eventually got what they were looking for. They had strong opinions regarding many different categories, but when they knew what they wanted they progressed and accomplished. Radical Republicans conquered when President Johnson was impeached. Slavery was a major issue during the mid 1800’s and couldn’t be ignored.

The Radicals continued to fight for full African American equality after the Civil War. This was not a popular cause and is heard to cost the Republican Party over a quarter million cotes in 1968. After the final session the radicals lost their seat in congress. Their hard efforts, bravery and strength were a major part of the Reconstruction era in the 1800’s.

"The war will not end until the government shall more fully recognize the magnitude of the crisis; until they have discovered that this is an internecine war in which one party or the other must be reduced to hopeless feebleness and the power of further effort shall be utterly annihilated. It is a sad but true alternative. ... How, then, can the war be carried on so as to save the Union and constitutional liberty? Prejudices may be shocked, weak minds startled, weak nerves may tremble, but they must hear and adopt it. Universal emancipation must be proclaimed to all." - Thadeus Stevens

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