Which event is associated with the beginning of Radical Reconstruction?

The beginning of Radical Reconstruction is closely linked to the end of the Civil War, which occurred in 1865. With the defeat of the Confederate states, the Union faced significant challenges in reintegrating the Southern states and defining the status of the newly freed African Americans. The Radical Republicans, a faction of the Republican Party, emerged during this time, advocating for stringent measures to ensure civil rights for former slaves and a more stringent approach to the re-admission of Southern states into the Union.

This period is characterized by a push for greater social, political, and economic rights for freed slaves, which was fundamentally different from earlier phases of Reconstruction that favored leniency towards the South. The Radical Republicans sought to transform Southern society and impose federal regulations to protect the rights of African Americans, which leads to significant legislative outcomes such as the Civil Rights Act and the Reconstruction Acts. The end of the Civil War set the stage for these changes to take place as the nation grappled with the consequences of the war and the need to redefine its societal structure.