As opposed to the secrecy of the Klan some Southern

Last updated: 8/9/2023

As opposed to the secrecy of the Klan some Southern Democrats openly used violence to intimidate African American voters More frequently though white Southerners used nonviolent economic pressure such as refusing to hire or do business with African Americans who voted Republican The fear of economic reprisals kept many former slaves from voting for Republicans or even voting at all To curtail Klan violence and Democratic intimidation Congress passed a series of Enforcement Acts in 1870 and 1871 One act provided for the federal supervision of elections in Southern states while the other gave the president the power to use federal troops in areas where the Klan was active In May 1872 Congress passed the Amnesty Act in which about 160 000 former Confederates were given the right to vote and hold political office In the same year Congress allowed the Freedmen s Bureau to expire Both actions weakened Republican power and allowed Southern Democrats to regain political power What were the main reasons for the weakening of Republican power after the Civil War O Widespread political corruption in the Grant Administration O The Amnesty Act O The expiry of the Freedmen s Bureau 9