Grant tried to appeal to the people of the South. On May 3, 1871, he issued a proclamation warning that terroristic acts of violence would not be tolerated by his administration. The latter two Force Acts were also known as the “Ku Klux Klan Acts.” Finally, the Third Force Act of April of 1871 empowered President Grant to suspend Habeas Corpus and use the military to enforce these acts. The Second Force Act of February 1871 put federal elections under federal supervision mainly by federal judges and U.S. As the Klan was known for their disguises, this act called put them on notice. The Enforcement Act of May 1870 prohibited “banding together” or “going in disguise upon the public highways or upon the premises of another” to violate a citizen’s constitutional rights. If the attention of Congress can be confined to the single subject of providing means for the protection of life and property in those sections of the Country where the present civil authority fails to secure that end, I feel that we should have such legislation.”Ĭongress responded with three “Force Acts” aimed at stopping the violence, especially within the Ku Klux Klan. Blaine, Grant wrote, “there is a deplorable state of affairs existing in some portions of the south demanding the immediate attention of Congress. In a letter to Speaker of the House James G. Grant was nevertheless determined to do something. military, which had downsized significantly since the end of the Civil War. Sadly, the Federal Government’s resources for curbing this widespread violence were limited, especially within the U.S. He had a genuine regard for the well-being of the freedpeople who had supported the Union in large numbers and was concerned that the actions of the Ku Klux Klan were undermining the verdict of the Civil War. President Grant looked at the violence with increasing concern. Harper's Weekly Archives on the Internet Archive "Two Members of the Ku-Klux Klan in Their Disguises," published in Harper's Weekly on December 19, 1868. Therefore, Republican governors and officials appealed to President Grant for help if local and state authorities were unable or unwilling. Klan activities threatened to undermine federal reconstruction efforts in the former Confederacy. Worse, the Klan’s goals were supported by many local officials as well as law enforcement, which meant that Klan violence was rarely prosecuted at the local or state level. KKK members often wore ghoulish disguises and committed their crimes at night, terrifying their victims. Their methods included burning Black schools and churches, intimidating Black and Republican voters, and even resorting to rape and murder. KKK members attacked freedpeople exercising their new rights as well as whites who supported the Republican Party. However, as the Klan spread throughout the South, its members’ intentions became more sinister and violent. It was formed in Pulaski, Tennessee in 1866 by six Confederate veterans who, bored with civilian life, founded the Klan to mainly play pranks. The most well-known violent white supremacist group to form during this period was the Ku Klux Klan. As president, Grant needed to find ways to curb this violence. Some turned towards violence to maintain white supremacy and topple Republican rule in the south. As these dramatic changes were taking place throughout southern society, many White Southerners resented this newfound independence among African Americans and rejected the Republican Party. They were overwhelmingly members of the Republican Party largely due to Republican support for emancipation and civil rights. Black Americans also attended school, established their own churches, becoming politically active, and held political offices at the local, state and federal level. The 13 th, 14 th, and 15 th amendments ended slavery, extended US citizenship to African Americans with equal protection under the law, and established voting rights for African American men. The transition to Reconstruction altered the direction of the country, especially the lives of African Americans. The Civil War had recently ended in 1865, ushering in the beginning of the Reconstruction era. Grant faced numerous challenges during his presidency (1869-1877). Bellew's portrait is one of the most visceral depictions of KKK violence during the Reconstruction era. "Visit of the Ku-Klux" by Frank Bellew (1872) depicts two members of the Ku Klux Klan entering an African American household and prepare to commit violence.
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