Answer:
The correct answer is C. A goal of the Radical Republicans during Reconstruction was protecting the rights of African Americans.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Radical Republicans were a faction within the Republican Party, which existed from 1854 to 1877. This informal association of Republican senators and Representatives determined policy during the final phase of the Civil War and the period of Reconstruction that followed. The main concerns of the Radical Republicans were the abolition of slavery, extensive civil rights for the liberated African Americans, and severe punishment of the leaders and supporters of the Confederate States. The Radical Republicans opposed the policies of the conservative Democrats in particular and were in part critical of the moderate Republicans (such as President Abraham Lincoln).