Thaddeus Stevens Right To Vote Analysis

C. Former Confederates and African American defenders had opposing views on new black legislators. Former Confederates, such as English clergyman J.W. Leigh, felt as though blacks were prematurely given the right to vote. Leigh argued that because blacks received franchise only five years after the abolition of slavery, they were incapable and easily influenced by radical republicans. To back his claim, Leigh cited the passing of a large grant for the Alabama and Chattanooga Railway. He states that the grant’s purpose was to give money to corrupt carpetbaggers, and that the blacks helped passed the bill after being bribed. Leigh also insinuates that having blacks in office meant that they dominated the votes and silenced whites, doing
On the other hand, African American allies encouraged black legislators for their own political gain. Thaddeus Stevens was a highly influential radical Republican member of the House and acted compassionately towards blacks. He demanded black suffrage, arguing that if rebel whites have the right to vote, so should loyal blacks. However, not all of his activism was out of sheer kindness, Stevens and other African American defenders had ulterior motives. Stevens claimed that granting blacks the right to vote meant that white Union men would no longer be a minority in the South, and wouldn’t be targets for the violent minority. Although this argument makes it seem like black franchise would help protect whites, Stevens’ goals is actually to give more people access to vote for his side. This is solidified in his next argument, where Stevens admits that black franchise would “insure the ascendancy of the Union Party” (22D1). He didn’t want the white rebels to have too much political power in the South, which is what would’ve happened if blacks weren’t allowed to vote. While African American defenders may have truly believed that blacks should take part in choosing their rulers, they undeniably wanted to use black votes to extend their