How did citizenship change during Reconstruction and how did white Southerners respond to these changes?

During Reconstruction, numerous white supremacists groups emerged as a result to the changes proposed by the movement.

Explanation:

The Reconstruction (1865-77) was a period where several attempts were made to bring civil equality and liberty among the black population in social, political and economic spheres.

Since the Reconstruction occurred after the Civil War, the democrats wanted to reconstruct and welcome the Southerners back into the American Union. They tried to establish the right to vote for all and liberty of individuals to every Southern citizens.

However after 1867, white southerners grew bitter and violent towards the proposed changes and the reformers of the Reconstruction. As a result, The Ku Klux Klan and other radical white supremacist groups sprung up. They were atrocious towards the Reconstruction leaders, blacks, or anyone who supported the Reconstruction Movement.