How did the white southern democrats feel about reconstruction?

White Southern Democrats generally opposed Reconstruction, viewing it as a punitive measure imposed by the North following the Civil War. They resented federal intervention and the presence of Northern politicians and troops in the South, which they saw as an infringement on their rights and autonomy. Many sought to restore pre-war social and political structures, leading to the disenfranchisement of Black voters and the re-establishment of white supremacy through laws and practices like Jim Crow. Their resistance significantly shaped the post-war South and the long-lasting legacy of racial tensions in the region.