Following the civil war, the political group which took the view of reconstruction that harsh penalties needed to be doled out to former confederates while giving full rights to freedmen was called
democrats
radical republicans
scalawags
moderate republicans

Following the Civil War, the political group which took the view of Reconstruction that harsh penalties needed to be doled out to former Confederates while giving full rights to Freedmen was called "Radical Republicans," since they heavily blamed the South for making the war happen in the first place. 

Getting elected because not many people were voting