The congressmen who wanted to take a more punitive approach to reconstruction were confederate leaders. northern democrats. southern democrats. radical republicans.

After the end of the Civil War, the question remained as to whether or not the federal government would punish the Southern states for seceding from the United States. This topic was debated by individuals all over the United States. The group that wanted to severely punish the Confederate leaders were the Radical Republicans. This group disliked the Confederacy, as most Radical Republicans strongly supported the idea of abolishing (aka getting rid of) slavery. This is why the Radical Republicans favored a Reconstruction plan that punished the Confederate leaders.

The answer is D, Radical Republicans, just did the quiz. Hope this helps!