To What Extent Were the Civil Rights of African Americans

To what extent were the civil rights of African Americans protected after the Civil War?

A) Their civil rights increased in the immediate aftermath of the Civil War and have continued to increase steadily ever since.
B) There were no attempts to protect the civil rights of African Americans until Reconstruction ended.
C) The civil rights of southern African Americans were considerably greater than their northern counterparts.
D) Attempts to protect the civil rights of African Americans were largely unsuccessful for decades following the Civil War and Reconstruction.