Opinion of Reconstruction-era Radical Republicans

[TNF]

Freedom Fighters (D)

[Antonio the Sixth]

From what I read about that period, their obsession with "punishing the South" and ruling it like a conquered land seems to be at least partly responsible for the post-Reconstruction backlash and Jim Crow. Things should have been done differently.

[Maxwell]

Massive HPs. Because punishing the south more TOTALLY wouldnt end badly.

[Darth Maul]

R-Massive FFs.

[Mechaman]

Mixed Bag (Independent)

On one hand they helped implement some very needed reforms like well ahead of it's time Civil Rights for nonwhite citizens.  I don't see that happening under the regime of more moderate/conservative Republicans who would've likely waffled on the issue due to possible massive repercussions from Southern whites.

However, at the same time I feel like Reconstruction could've been better handled than it did.  For instance, maybe avoiding all out military governance in some states would've prevented a good deal of resentment.  As would, I imagine, cracking down on some of the corruption that was all too common in many Republican governments during the era (which isn't to say Democratic governments weren't corrupt, as the legacy of urban machinery and mob involvement in politics shows).

So really, it's kind of hard to say whether they are FFs or HPs based off of that.

[Oldiesfreak1854]

Massive FFs (R), obviously.  And you put "HPs (D)" on there twice.

[RogueBeaver]

From what I read about that period, their obsession with "punishing the South" and ruling it like a conquered land seems to be at least partly responsible for the post-Reconstruction backlash and Jim Crow. Things should have been done differently.

[justfollowingtheelections]

I feel they didn't go far enough.  All slave owners should have gone to jail for their crimes against other human beings.

[Vazdul (Formerly Chairman of the Communist Party of Ontario)]

From what I read about that period, their obsession with "punishing the South" and ruling it like a conquered land seems to be at least partly responsible for the post-Reconstruction backlash and Jim Crow. Things should have been done differently.

^^

This. Didn't vote.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

That's the orthodox argument of the American Historiographical Tradition, certainly. Thing is, said Tradition is not particularly credible in any respect. Particularly over this issue; the reasons aren't entirely pleasant either.

[Jackson]

Didn't go far enough.

[Lief 🗽]

Yeah it's too bad they didn't have a bigger say in things.