Explain why Johnson and the Radical Republicans fought so fiercely over Reconstruction
What will be an ideal response?
Students may point out that Johnson largely followed Lincoln's plan for Reconstruction, but it is also important to note Johnson's larger view. The president viewed Reconstruction as an opportunity to improve the status of the white middle class in the South. He also was a southerner, and a staunch supporter of state's rights. To that end, he was opposed to increases in the power of the federal government. Radical Republicans, on the other hand, viewed Reconstruction as an opportunity to fundamentally alter the social and economic conditions of the South. While Johnson disliked risking peaceful relations over the issue of civil rights, Radical Republicans believed that protecting the freed people was of primary importance. Also, the Radicals envisioned a complete transformation of the southern economy, moving from agriculture to manufacturing, which would do little to improve the agrarian middle class that Johnson supported. Finally, good essays will point out that the conflicts ultimately became clashes of personalities and of political superiority as much as honest disputes over policy.
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