The defeat of the Confederacy left the southern states in shambles. Likewise, the Democratic Party-closely allied with the Confederacy were equally in shambles. This lead to the ascendancy of the Republican Party and all that it stood for. Following the war, the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments to the US Constitution were passed to outlaw slavery and provide civil rights to the newly freed slaves. The 13th amendment officially prohibited slavery. The 14th officially protected rights and the 15th amendment protected voting rights. This was the very reason for the formation of the Republican Party and within fifteen years of its inception, the goals were realized. But their work was far from over.

The Radical Republicans led by men like Senator Sumner were angry at the Southern states for secession and slavery. They now had even more anger as a result of the assassination of President Lincoln. They wanted to punish the south!

There were two objectives faced by the Republican led government. One was to rebuild the south. Most of the battles were fought in the south and many homes, towns and cities were burned in what was arguably the most brutal time in our history. The second was winning the hearts and minds of the southerners. This would prove to be much more difficult. The south held much animosity toward the north and, indeed, the Republicans. Particularly since many of the southerners were ineligible to hold office and many of the state offices were held by people from the north. Likewise, many northerners saw an opportunity to purchase land in the south at very cheap prices. These people were known as “carpetbaggers” and would create a challenging environment by which the Republicans would find it difficult if not impossible to win the hearts of the southerners. It would take generations before this resentment would be assuaged.

President Lincoln realized that there would be much difficulty in assimilating the newly freed slaves. Therefore, two months before his assassination, he created a new bureau known as the Freedman Bureau. This organization was established to aid and assist in the transformation of the south to individual freedom. The south, led primarily by the Democratic Party created shadow organizations to retaliate against the efforts of the Republicans. One such organization was the Ku Klux Klan. The Klan terrorized the newly freed slaves and all those that helped them. They would continue to do so for the next 40-50 years and then later in the 1950s and „60s.

In spite of the efforts of the Democrats, many African Americans were elected to state offices throughout the south. In 1870, the first African American senator was elected by the Mississippi legislature. Senator Hiram Revels took the oath of office and those present knew they were witnessing an event of great historical significance.

The Civil Rights Act of 1875 was introduced by Senators Charles Sumner and Benjamin Butler. The Act stipulated that everyone was guaranteed, regardless of race, color, or previous servitude, the same treatment in public accommodations, such as Inns, public transportation, theaters, and other places of recreation. Unfortunately, the Act had little impact by the late 1870s as the Democrats were regaining control of the southern states and began to institute racially charged legislation such as the “Jim Crow Laws.” In 1883, the US Supreme Court determined that this is a state issue. The next time a civil rights act would be passed would be 1957, under another Republican President.

Lincoln was the first Republican president. He was succeeded by his chosen Vice-President, Andrew Johnson, a Democrat. Ulysses Grant became the next President and the second Republican to hold the esteemed office. He was then succeeded by Rutherford B. Hayes, a Republican from Ohio. President Hayes ran on the promise of removing the federal troops from the southern states and ending the Reformation Era.