The Second Reconstruction Act When southerners balked at the provisions of the Military Reconstruction Act, Congress enacted even more detailed and...

The Second Reconstruction Act

When southerners balked at the provisions of the Military Reconstruction Act, Congress enacted even more detailed and more hated legislation. The text of the Second Reconstruction Act provides a clear picture of just how serious the Radical Republicans were about moving the country in a different direction. Sadly, they were unable, or unwilling, to follow through and make sure that southerners actually followed the new laws.