Question

Did the Radical Republicans sympathize with rebel army officers

Answer 1

The Radical Republicans, a faction within the Republican Party during the Reconstruction era after the Civil War, were generally opposed to the former Confederate leaders and rebel army officers. Their primary goals included ensuring civil rights for freed slaves, punishing the South for its rebellion, and implementing significant reforms in Southern states.

While some individuals, even within the Radical Republican faction, might have had personal sympathies for specific figures, the overall stance of the Radical Republicans was to hold former Confederate leaders accountable for their roles in the Civil War and to oppose their return to power. They pushed for legislation that would limit the influence of ex-Confederates in politics and advocate for a more thorough and transformative approach to rebuilding the South. The Radical Republicans viewed the rebel army officers as part of the system that had upheld slavery and were largely skeptical of their intentions in the post-war society.