In an effort to combat the rising tide of violence and intimidation by the Ku Klux Klan in the Reconstruction South, Congress passed the Ku Klux Klan Act on April 20, 1871. This significant piece of legislation empowered the president to use federal forces to suppress organizations that infringed upon the rights of African Americans, aiming to enforce the 14th and 15th Amendments. While the act marked a critical effort to protect civil rights and combat racial terrorism, its enforcement and effectiveness would be challenged, underscoring the ongoing struggle for equality and justice in America.
