After the Civil War, President Johnson advocated for a policy of "reconstruction" that would quickly restore the seceded states to the Union. He believed that the best way to achieve this goal was to grant amnesty to most Confederates and to allow them to participate in the political process. He also opposed giving former slaves equal rights, instead supporting policies of segregation and disenfranchisement. Johnson's policies were strongly opposed by many Republicans in Congress, who believed that they were too lenient towards the former Confederates and did not do enough to protect the rights of newly freed slaves.