What were the goals of ex-confederates during Reconstruction?

During Reconstruction, ex-Confederates aimed to restore their political power and social order in the South, seeking to reinstate white supremacy and undermine the rights of freed African Americans. They sought to diminish the influence of the federal government in Southern affairs and promote local control, often through the establishment of discriminatory laws like Black Codes. Additionally, many ex-Confederates worked to regain economic stability and maintain their previous agricultural practices, including the use of sharecropping, which often exploited Black labor. Ultimately, their efforts contributed to the resistance against Reconstruction policies and the eventual establishment of Jim Crow laws.