The Role of the Republican Party in the Civil War and Post-War Legislation

List three reasons that Republicans in Congress worried about the return of the Southern Democrats.

1. Republicans had been in control during the war2. Republicans passed legislation through that southerners had blocked3. Republicans wanted equal rights for blacks BEFORE readmitting Southern states.

1. Yes, Republicans were in control during the Civil War. The Civil War was fought between the Northern states (represented by the Union army) and the Southern states (represented by the Confederate army). The Republican Party, led by President Abraham Lincoln, controlled the Union government during the war.

2. It is true that Republicans passed important legislation during and immediately after the Civil War that southerners had blocked in the past. One of the most significant pieces of legislation passed by Republicans during this period was the 13th Amendment to the US Constitution, which abolished slavery throughout the country. Another important law was the Civil Rights Act of 1866, which granted citizenship and equal protection under the law to all people born in the United States, including African Americans.

3. Republicans did want to ensure equal rights for African Americans before readmitting Southern states into the Union after the war. This is because many Southern states had seceded from the Union specifically to protect and preserve the institution of slavery. Republicans believed that before these states could be readmitted, they needed to demonstrate a sincere commitment to equal rights for all citizens, regardless of race. As a result, Republican lawmakers pushed for a series of Reconstruction Acts in 1867 and 1868 that required Southern states to ratify the 14th Amendment (which granted citizenship to anyone born in the United States and guaranteed equal protection under the law) and hold elections in which African Americans could vote and hold office.

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