Who were the significant people or groups of Reconstruction and what were their goals?

A lot of groups were critical, but it was mainly the politicians of the day. Republicans mainly in the anti-slavery north, and Democrats mainly in the pro-slavery south. (Important note: these two parties then are not the same like they are now, the Democrats switch platforms in the early 1900s and become more progressive. Republicans begin to attract certain demographics like the born-again christians and the far right. Read about "The Southern Strategy Nixon" online.) Anyway, the liberal Republicans in the north began pushing for these reforms during Lincoln incumbency. When he was assassinated, the more pro-slavery VP Andrew Johnson took over the Oval Office. He stopped many attempts at getting rid of the anti-black rhetoric that were being pushed by the Northerners and resisted by the Southerners. Re-building the South was successful in terms of infrastructure. Not very reconstructed by racial terms. Mainly because of Andrew Johnson.

Significant people and groups during the Reconstruction era in the United States included:

1. Abraham Lincoln: The 16th President of the United States, Lincoln's goal during Reconstruction was to restore the Union and ensure that the Southern states were readmitted to the Union with minimal disruption.

2. Andrew Johnson: Following Lincoln's assassination, Johnson became president and attempted to implement his own Reconstruction policies, which included lenient terms for readmitting Southern states to the Union.

3. Radical Republicans: A faction within the Republican Party, Radical Republicans sought to implement more stringent Reconstruction policies to ensure civil rights for freedmen and punish former Confederates. Key figures included Thaddeus Stevens and Charles Sumner.

4. Freedmen's Bureau: Established by Congress in 1865, the Freedmen's Bureau aimed to provide assistance to newly freed slaves by offering education, healthcare, and employment opportunities.

5. Ku Klux Klan (KKK): A white supremacist terrorist organization, the KKK aimed to intimidate African Americans and hinder their political and social advancement during Reconstruction.

6. Carpetbaggers and Scalawags: Carpetbaggers were Northern newcomers who moved to the South during Reconstruction, often to participate in politics or business. Scalawags were Southern whites who supported Republican Reconstruction efforts.

Each of these individuals and groups had different goals and agendas during Reconstruction, ranging from reuniting the nation and ensuring civil rights for freed slaves to maintaining white supremacy and resisting federal intervention in Southern affairs.