The outcome of the Memphis riot and a similar incident ( the New Orleans massacre of 1866 in July 1866 ) was to increase support for Radical Reconstruction . Reports of the riot discredited President Andrew Johnson , who was from Tennessee and had been military governor of Tennessee under Lincoln . Johnson 's program of Presidential Reconstruction was blocked , and the Congress moved toward Radical Reconstruction . The Radical Republicans swept the congressional elections of 1866 , obtaining a veto-proof majority in Washington . Subsequently , they passed key pieces of legislation , such as the Reconstruction Acts , Enforcement Acts , and the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution which guaranteed citizenship , equal protection of the laws , and due process to former slaves . The change in political climate , catalyzed by response to the race riots , ultimately enabled former slaves to obtain the full rights of citizenship
New Orleans massacre of 1866
New Orleans massacre of 1866
Memphis riots of 1866