Who were the 'Redeemers' in the Reconstruction era?

• A. Northern reformers who led Reconstruction
• B. Southern white Democrats who sought to regain control
• C. Freedmen's Bureau agents
• D. Federal troops enforcing new laws

Answer: (B)

Redeemers were Southern white Democrats who aimed to reclaim control of Southern state governments from Republican rule during Reconstruction. They believed Reconstruction threatened white supremacy and the old social order, so they organized politically, used intimidation and violence, and sought to disenfranchise Black voters and roll back civil rights. Their rise helped end federal enforcement of Reconstruction policies, culminating in the withdrawal of troops and a shift toward white-ruled, Jim Crow-era governance. The other options don’t fit because Northern reformers led Reconstruction, Freedmen’s Bureau agents were federal helpers of African Americans during Reconstruction, and federal troops enforcing new laws were tools of Reconstruction that Redeemers opposed rather than led.