Changes

Republican leaders agreed that slavery and the [[Slave Power]] had to be permanently destroyed, and that all forms of Confederate nationalism had to be suppressed. Moderates said this could be easily accomplished as soon as Confederate armies surrendered and the Southern states repealed secession and ratified the Thirteenth Amendment (which abolished slavery); all of which happened by September 1865, when Johnson felt Reconstruction was finished.

Republican leaders agreed that slavery and the [[Slave Power]] had to be permanently destroyed, and that all forms of Confederate nationalism had to be suppressed. Moderates said this could be easily accomplished as soon as Confederate armies surrendered and the Southern states repealed secession and ratified the Thirteenth Amendment (which abolished slavery); all of which happened by September 1865, when Johnson felt Reconstruction was finished.

By 1866, however, Johnson, with no party affiliation, broke with the moderate Republicans and aligned himself more with the Democrats who opposed equality and the [[Fourteenth Amendment]]. Radicals attacked the policies of Johnson, especially his veto of the Civil Rights Bill for the Freedmen.  The [[Ku Klux Klan]] was founded the same year by members of the [[Democratic Party]] to inflict violence against black leaders and white Republicans.<ref>http://www.history.com/topics/ku-klux-klan</ref>  Its purpose was to take control and return Democrats to power.  One of the founders, and the first "Grand Wizard," was former Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest.  Attempts were made to break up the Klan by President [[Ulysses S. Grant]] and the U.S. Army using the Civil Rights Act of 1871 (also known as the Ku Klux Klan Act).  

By 1866, however, Johnson, with no party affiliation, broke with the moderate Republicans and aligned himself more with the Democrats who opposed equality and the [[Fourteenth Amendment]]. Radicals attacked the policies of Johnson, especially his veto of the Civil Rights Bill for the Freedmen.  The [[Ku Klux Klan]] was founded the same year by members of the [[Democratic Party]] to inflict violence against black leaders and white Republicans.<ref>http://www.history.com/topics/ku-klux-klan</ref>  Its purpose was to take control and return Democrats to power.  One of the founders, and the first "Grand Wizard," was former Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest.  Attempts were made to break up the Klan by President [[Ulysses S. Grant]] and the U.S. Army using the Civil Rights Act of 1871 (also known as the [[Insurrection_Act#Posse_Comitatus_Act|Ku Klux Klan Act]]).  

Republicans stripped [[white]] [[male]]s who engaged in rebellion against the [[United States]] of the [[vote]], and gave it to Blacks. Newly freed Blacks held local, state and federal elected and non-elected positions as Republicans. The white males who were deprived of the vote were also barred from holding any civil service position and were universally Democrats.  This disenfranchisement created enormous resentment among Democrats, so they formed the Ku Klux Klan to engage in voter intimidation and suppression.  

Republicans stripped [[white]] [[male]]s who engaged in rebellion against the [[United States]] of the [[vote]], and gave it to Blacks. Newly freed Blacks held local, state and federal elected and non-elected positions as Republicans. The white males who were deprived of the vote were also barred from holding any civil service position and were universally Democrats.  This disenfranchisement created enormous resentment among Democrats, so they formed the Ku Klux Klan to engage in voter intimidation and suppression.  

[[Image:Artoon.jpg|left|200px|thumb|A political cartoon depicting the KKK and the Democrat Party as continuations of the Confederacy]]

[[Image:Artoon.jpg|left|200px|thumb|A political cartoon depicting the KKK and the Democrat Party as continuations of the Confederacy]]

The House elections of 1866 decisively changed the balance of power, giving the Radicals control of Congress and enough votes to overcome Johnson's vetoes and even to impeach him. Johnson was acquitted by one vote, but he remained almost powerless regarding Reconstruction policy. Radicals used the Army to take over the South and give the vote to black men, and they took the vote away from an estimated 10,000 or 15,000 white men who had been Confederate officials or senior officers.  The Radical stage lasted for varying lengths in the different states, where a Republican coalition of Freedmen, Scalawags, and Carpetbaggers took control and promoted modernization through railroads and public schools. They were charged with corruption by their Southern Democrat opponents, calling themselves "Redeemers" after 1870.

The House elections of 1866 decisively changed the balance of power, giving the Radicals control of Congress and enough votes to overcome Johnson's vetoes and even to impeach him. Johnson was acquitted by one vote, but he remained almost powerless regarding Reconstruction policy. Radicals used the Army to take over the South and give the vote to black men, and they took the vote away from an estimated 10,000 or 15,000 white men who had been Confederate officials or senior officers.  The Radical stage lasted for varying lengths in the different states, where a Republican coalition of Freedmen, Scalawags, and Carpetbaggers took control and promoted modernization through railroads and public schools. They were charged with corruption by their Southern Democrat opponents, calling themselves "Redeemers" after 1870.

The Ku Klux Klan started attacking Black Republican conventions.  At the Republican convention in Louisiana, the Klan joined with [[New Orleans]] police and New Orleans' Democrat mayor. The New Orleans Republican convention was attacked.  40 Blacks and 20 whites were killed. Another 150 were wounded.  In 1868 the Democrats put out push cards in South Carolina listing what they called the 'radical' members of the South Carolina legislature.  A push card is about the size of a baseball card.  The cards had the pictures of 63 legislators they wanted to kill.  50 of the legislators were Black and 13 were white.  All 63 were Republicans.  On the back of the was the name of the legislator.

The Ku Klux Klan started attacking Black Republican conventions.  At the Republican convention in Louisiana, the Klan joined with [[New Orleans]] police and New Orleans' Democrat mayor. The New Orleans Republican convention was attacked.  40 Blacks and 20 whites were killed. Another 150 were wounded.  In 1868 the Democrats put out push cards in South Carolina listing what they called the 'radical' members of the South Carolina legislature.  A push card is about the size of a baseball card.  The cards had the pictures of 63 legislators they wanted to kill.  50 of the legislators were Black and 13 were white.  All 63 were Republicans.  On the back of the was the name of the legislator.