Final answer:
In Dunning's interpretation, the villains were the Radical Republicans due to their Reconstruction policies, while the white Southerners seeking pre-war social order were deemed heroes, although this view is now considered outdated and biased by modern historians.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question pertains to the interpretation of historical figures and events in the context of the Reconstruction period in the United States, particularly through the lens of William Archibald Dunning's scholarship. Dunning's interpretation famously cast Radical Republicans as villains because they implemented policies during Reconstruction that were seen as punitive towards the South and detrimental to its recovery post-Civil War. On the other hand, he viewed white Southerners and those who sought to restore a pre-war social order as the heroes, despite the actual oppressive nature of that order, particularly towards African Americans.
This narrative was part of the Dunning School of thought, which influenced many early 20th-century interpretations of the Reconstruction era. However, contemporary historians have largely discredited the Dunning School for its racist underpinnings and inaccuracies. Today, the roles of 'heroes' and 'villains' in the context of Reconstruction are considered much more complex and are analyzed with an understanding of the racial dynamics and the struggle for civil rights.