Why did radical republicans seek to use the power of the federal government?

Radical Republicans sought to use the power of the federal government during the Reconstruction era following the American Civil War for several key reasons. Firstly, they saw the federal government as the primary vehicle for enforcing the rights of freed slaves and ensuring they were integrated as equal citizens. The Radical Republicans were committed to the idea that African Americans deserved the same legal protections and rights as white citizens, including the right to vote, own property, and have equal protection under the law.

Secondly, they sought to transform Southern society by pushing for reforms that would dismantle the remnants of the Confederacy and the social order based on slavery. Radical Republicans were often at odds with more moderate Republicans, who were reluctant to impose strict conditions on the Southern states rejoining the Union.

Thirdly, they wanted to punish the former Confederate states and the elites who had rebelled against the Union. They believed that the Confederate leaders should be held accountable for the Civil War and that the Southern states should only be readmitted to the Union under certain strict conditions, which included ratifying the 14th and 15th Amendments, which granted citizenship and voting rights to African American men.

Lastly, Radical Republicans were driven by a moral conviction to rectify the wrongs of slavery and to build a more equitable and just society. Their use of federal power was intended to override any state laws or local practices that were inconsistent with these principles.