Congressional passage of the Enforcement Acts in 1870-1871

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The Enforcement Acts of 1870-71 were three federal laws that aimed to reduce white repression of blacks in the South. These Acts were passed in response to widespread violence and terrorism by the Ku Klux Klan and other white supremacist groups against black voters and political leaders. The Acts made it a federal crime to interfere with someone’s right to vote or hold office, and also gave federal authorities the power to prosecute individuals who conspired to deprive someone of their civil rights. Thus, it gave legal protection to African American voters and officials and was instrumental in promoting civil rights and ending white repression in the South.

Congressional Passage of the Enforcement Acts in 1870-1871