Radical Republicans

{{hatnote|Not to be confused with [[reactionary]] Republicans, which are essentially the exact opposite.}} [[File:Thaddeus_Stevens.jpg|thumb|
Tommy Lee Jones
 Thaddeus Stevens, a Radical Republican]]

'''Radical Republicans''' were the elected officials of the [[Republican Party]] during the [[American Civil War]] (1861–65) and post-war [[Reconstruction]] era. They are most well known for their stance on [[abolition]]ism and [[civil rights]] legislation, as aimed towards the newly freed [[slave]]s of the former [[Confederate States of America|Confederacy]], which was incredibly [[radical]] (hence their name) for mid-19th century America. A number of them also supported other then-radical causes, such as [[Trade union|union rights]], [[Feminism|women's suffrage]], and the creation of [[public school]]s (a goal of Southern carpetbaggers), but this doesn't apply to all of them. Many also advocated the redistribution of some plantation land belonging to larger, established slaveholders to newly freed slaves as a payment for their time spent in slavery and to provide many black people with a better means of living in the South. Republicans of all stripes also advocated for "internal improvements," an old-school classically conservative [[Alexander Hamilton|Hamiltonian]] goal, which in modern parlance would be called tariff-financed government investment in infrastructure and included a transcontinental railroad fiercely opposed by Southerners.

For the most part, the era of the Radical Republicans ended with Reconstruction itself as "Moderates" took over since the Kellogg government episode. In the following century, the Republican party would morph into a different brand they represented when known as the Radical Republicans.

Some Radicals advocated the outright redistribution of some plantation land from Southern economic elites to the poor, former slaves, on a basis of justice emphasizing punishment of Confederates. Congressional Moderates under the lead of {{wpl|John Bingham}} were not favorable, however.

Scandals surrounding [[Ulysses S. Grant]] were not taken lightly by reformers. The old "Free Soil" element of the Radical Republicans hostile to [[spoils system]] politics, protectionist tariffs, and railroad grants bolted in subsequent formation of the (short-lived) {{wpl|Liberal Republican Party (United States)|Liberal Republican Party}}<ref>Don't let the name fool you. Their platform endorsed a "[https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/liberal-republican-platform-1872 speedy return to specie payment]," code for [[sound money]]. Their liberalism was classical, not modern.</ref> while "regulars" stayed loyal to Radicalism and "Grantism."<ref>Patrick W. Riddleberger, ''The Break in the Radical Ranks: Liberals vs Stalwarts in the Election of 1872,'' pp. 136-57.</ref> The Radical Republicans' "regular" element coalesced into the {{wpl|Stalwarts (politics)|Stalwarts}},<ref>Robert E. Dewhirst, John D. Rausch, ''Encyclopedia of the United States Congress,'' p. 52.</ref> known during [[Rutherford B. Hayes]]'s presidency as the party's conservative<ref>Kevin F. Kern, Gregory S. Wilson, ''Ohio: A History of the Buckeye State.''</ref><ref>Clare Cushman, ''The Supreme Court Justices: Illustrated Biographies, 1789–2012,'' p. 195.</ref><ref>Charles Quince, ''Rutherford B. Hayes and the Restoration of Presidential Powers,'' p. 95.</ref> faction loudly hostile towards any effort seeking to weaken civil rights protections and the spoils system.

==Modern usage==
The term is also used in modern times to refer to [[Ronald Reagan|Reagan]]-era and post-Reagan Republicans - "[[Barry Goldwater|Goldwater]] Republicans" - who shifted the party from a generally [[conservative]], i.e., preserving the ''status quo,'' position, to one of espousing [[New Right (United States)|reactionary politics]].<ref>[http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ethan-rome/supreme-showdown-radical-_b_1378771.html A usage of the term on Huffington Post]</ref>

==References==
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{{USPoliticalParty}}
[[Category:United States history]]
[[Category:Human rights]]
[[Category:Civil rights]]

Categories: United States history, Human rights, Civil rights