Angry Southerners joined groups like the Red Shirts because
- they blamed the North for ending slavery.
Therefore, option A is correct
The Red Shirts were a white supremacist group that emerged in the South during the Reconstruction era, after the Civil War. They aimed to overthrow the Republican state governments in the South and restore white Democrats to power. Their activities were part of the broader resistance against the Reconstruction policies and the federal government's efforts to enforce civil rights protections, which included the abolition of slavery.
1. Context of Post-Civil War South:
- After the Civil War, the Southern states were left economically devastated, socially disrupted, and politically restructured.
- The abolition of slavery dealt a heavy blow to the Southern economy, which had been heavily reliant on slave labor, especially in agriculture.
2. Formation of Groups Like the Red Shirts:
- In reaction to the changes imposed during the Reconstruction era, some white Southerners formed or joined groups that aimed to resist these changes.
- The Red Shirts were one such group, created with the intention of restoring white supremacy and undermining the Reconstruction efforts.
3. Blaming the North for Ending Slavery:
- These groups largely blamed the North for the loss of their previous way of life, which included the end of slavery.
- They believed that the North had imposed an unfair political and social structure on the South through Reconstruction.
4. The Goals of the Red Shirts:
- The primary goal of the Red Shirts and similar organizations was not to meddle in Northern affairs, rebuild cities, or extend slavery into the North. Instead, they focused on local and state politics in the South.
- Their activities included voter intimidation, violence, and propaganda to disenfranchise African Americans and suppress their civil rights, as well as to remove Republicans and their allies from power.
5. Resistance to Reconstruction:
- The resistance was part of a broader movement against the federal government's efforts to integrate freed slaves into society as equals and to reconstruct the South's political systems.
- By disrupting Republican rallies, intimidating black voters, and using violence, the Red Shirts aimed to re-establish white Democratic control over Southern states.