Why did the federal government focus more on political change in reconstruction than economic assistance to freemen and aid for infrastructure in the devastated south (where most battles were fought)?

The widely Republican Senate brought their focus on obtaining African American voters by giving them political power and rights within the South. They felt anger and betrayal from the Southerners who seceded from the Union, and therefore did little to help them during Reconstruction. On top of  that, hate groups like the Ku Klux Klan, forced military occupation into the South more than any other type of economic assistance. At the point of the end of Reconstruction, little was accomplished to not only help rebuild the South, but also give African Americans the rights given to them by the end of the Civil War as well as throughout Reconstruction.

In order to obtain more African American voters on his side, the Republican Senate thought of sharing some political rights as well as the power to African Americans of the South.

The reconstruction led to the display of hatred against the African Americans through these regions. Thus there was hardly any help to them during Reconstruction.

In addition to that, military occupations were forced by some hate groups like Ku Klux Klan that was the most of any kind of economic support provided.

By the last phases of Reconstruction, not much accomplishment was achieved to rebuild or help the South but it gave some needed rights to the African Americans.

Learn more about political change in the reconstruction here:

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c) troops march forward in close formation against newer, more accurate weapons