The goal of the Radical Republicans in Congress during Reconstruction was to impose political and social reforms on the Southern States. They believed that the former Confederate States needed to be drastically transformed in order to become truly equal and just societies. To achieve this goal, the Radical Republicans sought to implement a number of measures, including granting full civil rights to freedmen, enforcing labor contracts, and establishing public education systems in the South. They also sought to punish former Confederate leaders and prevent them from holding political office. The Radical Republicans believed that these measures were necessary in order to fully rebuild and reconcile the nation after the Civil War, and to ensure that the mistakes of the past were not repeated.