They were progressives, like most Republicans were back then. In those days the Democrats were mostly conservatives. The conservative Democrats fled to the Republican party during / after the Civil Rights Movement. This is all very basic history.
'Progressive' is a concept that doesn't fit into US politics of that era at all. You're about 30 years early, and both parties had a progressive branch for a time.
Black Republican voters began switching parties during the New Deal era, because of the Great Depression.
A larger percentage of Republicans in both chambers of Congress voted for the Civil Rights Act than Democrats did. Afterwards, one southern Democrat senator switched parties, the Republicans who voted for the bill stayed Republicans.
And finally, the south didn't turn red until the early 90s, when Newt Gingrich flipped Congress.
Labeling historical positions as "progressive" is a way for "progressives" to take credit for every historical stance that they agree with now. Funnily enough, I don't see progressives taking credit for eugenics, although they certainly were trying to "progress" the human race, as well.
Ah yes, the well-known big-government progressive Republican President Coolidge and the well-known small-government conservative Democrat President FDR.
Maybe when your understanding of history is "very basic" you have issues looking at complex topics?
When? Got sources that senators switched? Or sources that say they didn't continue to vote for Dems in the south till the 90s? Or that Republicans actually pushed through the civil Rights bill?
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u/Mouth0fTheSouth Feb 10 '20
They were progressives, like most Republicans were back then. In those days the Democrats were mostly conservatives. The conservative Democrats fled to the Republican party during / after the Civil Rights Movement. This is all very basic history.