Ku Klux Klan Acts
The Ku Klux Klan Acts, also referred to as the Enforcement Acts, were a series of three laws enacted by the U.S. Congress during the Reconstruction era, following the Civil War. These laws were specifically designed to combat the violent actions of the Ku Klux Klan and other white supremacist groups that sought to undermine the rights of African Americans in the South. The first act, passed in May 1870, made activities such as night riding—a tactic often used for intimidation—a federal felony and reinforced the protections for African Americans as outlined in the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments.
The second act, enacted in February 1871, established measures to ensure fair elections and protect against racial discrimination at the polls. The third act, adopted shortly thereafter, made it a federal offense to infringe on voting rights and empowered the president to declare states in "rebellion" if they failed to control domestic violence, which included the ability to deploy military force. These legislative measures were significant in the fight against white supremacy, leading to effective suppression of the Ku Klux Klan's activities, exemplified by President Ulysses S. Grant's declaration of rebellion in nine South Carolina counties in 1871. The Ku Klux Klan Acts represent a critical point in U.S. history, reflecting the federal government's commitment to protecting civil rights during a tumultuous period of social change.
Ku Klux Klan Acts
Also known as the Enforcement Acts, or Force Acts, these three laws were enacted by the US Congress in response to the terrorist activities of the Ku Klux Klan and other groups committed to white supremacy in the South during the era of Reconstruction, immediately following the Confederate defeat at the end of the Civil War. The first act, passed in May 1870, made night riding (the practice of riding on horseback at night and committing various acts of intimidation and harassment) a federal felony and reaffirmed the rights of African Americans provided for in the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments. Congress passed a second act in February 1871, which provided for election supervisors to ensure against fraud and racial discrimination. Two months later, Congress approved a third statute aimed specifically at the activities of the Ku Klux Klan. This law made it a federal offense to violate anyone’s voting rights. In addition, it allowed the president to proclaim areas in which state governments failed to curb domestic violence to be in “rebellion” and authorized the use of military force and the suspension of the writ of habeas corpus to end rebellions. In October 1871, President Ulysses S. Grant used the law to declare nine counties in South Carolina to be in rebellion. These laws proved effective in suppressing white supremacy organizations.
Bibliography
Alexander, Shawn Leigh. Reconstruction Violence and the Ku Klux Klan Hearings. Boston: Bedford, 2015. Print.
Brands, H. W. "Grant Takes on the Klan." American History 47.5 (2012): 42–47. Print.
Langguth, A. J. After Lincoln: How the North Won the Civil War and Lost the Peace. New York: Simon, 2014. Print.
Newton, Michael. White Robes and Burning Crosses: A History of the Ku Klux Klan from 1866. Jefferson: McFarland, 2014. Print.
Williams, Lou Falkner. The Great South Carolina Ku Klux Klan Trials, 1871–1872. Athens: U of Georgia P, 1996. Print.