Although Moderate Republicans Did Not Champion Black Equality, Southern Obstinacy

Essay

Although moderate Republicans did not champion black equality, southern obstinacy and President Johnson's leniency toward the South forged unity among Republican factions. Rather than accept Johnson's claim that the "work of restoration" was done, Congress challenged his executive power. Discuss Congress's passage of the Fourteenth and Fifteenth amendments. What were the basic tenets of these amendments, and what were the reactions to them?