Introduction

• Founded in 1865, the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) aimed to intimidate newly freed Black populations and those supporting their rights, such as Freedmen’s Bureau workers.

KKK’s Violent Tactics

• The Klan targeted Northern teachers and newly built schools, burning them and committing murders, often documented through letters sent North.

Congressional Response

• The violence prompted Congress to establish the “Joint Committee of Fifteen,” led by Thaddeus Stevens, aiming to pass the Civil Rights Bill and strengthen the Freedmen’s Bureau.

Legislative Actions

• President Johnson vetoed both bills, but Congress overturned his veto on April 9, 1866, passing the Civil Rights Bill.
• The Reconstruction Act of March 2, 1867, placed the South under martial law, dividing it into five military districts to enforce new policies.

Reconstruction Era

• Reconstruction temporarily halted the Klan’s activities, bolstering the Freedmen’s Bureau and ensuring some protection for Black Americans.

Collapse of Reconstruction

• With Rutherford B. Hayes’s presidency in 1877, Reconstruction efforts began to unravel, allowing the resurgence of white supremacist violence and undermining previous progress.

Conclusion

• The Klan’s origins and the federal response highlight the intense struggles for Black rights during Reconstruction, setting the stage for ongoing conflicts and civil rights battles in the following decades. Further elaboration on the post-1877 period will be discussed in another chapter.

4o