Questions: Chapter 15: "What Is Freedom?": Reconstruction, 1865-1877 15.3. What were the social and political effects of Radical Reconstruction in the South? Match the descriptions of white Republicans in the South during Reconstruction to the correct term. These northern whites relocated to the South after the Civil War. Southern whites believed they had come simply for economic gain. These southern whites supported the Republicans and had not supported secession or the Confederacy. These were wartime Unionists from the South who hoped Reconstruction governments would help them recover from wartime economic losses. Some were investors in land and railroads who saw the postwar South as an opportunity to combine personal financial gain with a role in helping to substitute "the civilization of freedom for that of slavery."

The answer is as follows:

1. Carpetbaggers: These northern whites relocated to the South after the Civil War. Southern whites believed they had come simply for economic gain.
2. Scalawags: These southern whites supported the Republicans and had not supported secession or the Confederacy.
3. Scalawags: These were wartime Unionists from the South who hoped Reconstruction governments would help them recover from wartime economic losses.
4. Carpetbaggers: Some were investors in land and railroads who saw the postwar South as an opportunity to combine personal financial gain with a role in helping to substitute "the civilization of freedom for that of slavery."

1. Carpetbaggers: This term was used pejoratively by Southern whites to describe Northern transplants who moved to the South after the Civil War. They were often perceived as opportunists looking to exploit the South's postwar turmoil for personal gain. The term comes from the carpet bags (a type of luggage) they supposedly carried.

2. Scalawags: This term referred to Southern whites who supported the Republican Party and Reconstruction efforts. They were often seen as traitors by other Southerners because they had not supported the Confederacy and were now aligning with the North.

3. Scalawags: Many of these individuals were wartime Unionists who had remained loyal to the Union during the Civil War. They hoped that the Reconstruction governments would help them recover from the economic devastation caused by the war.

4. Carpetbaggers: Some of these Northern transplants were indeed investors in land and railroads. They saw the South as a land of opportunity where they could make personal financial gains while also contributing to the transformation of Southern society from one based on slavery to one based on free labor.

• Social Effects: Radical Reconstruction led to significant changes in Southern society. Freedmen (former slaves) gained new rights and opportunities, including the right to vote, own property, and receive an education. However, these changes also led to significant resistance from Southern whites, resulting in the rise of white supremacist groups like the Ku Klux Klan.

• Political Effects: Politically, Radical Reconstruction saw the establishment of new state governments in the South that were often dominated by Republicans, including both Carpetbaggers and Scalawags. These governments implemented reforms aimed at rebuilding the South and ensuring civil rights for freedmen. However, these efforts were met with significant opposition and eventually led to the end of Reconstruction and the establishment of Jim Crow laws.