Arkansas Governor Powell Clayton declared martial law in ten counties due to widespread racial violence perpetrated by the Ku Klux Klan during the Reconstruction era. The move was aimed at protecting newly emancipated African Americans and suppressing Klan terrorism. Governor Clayton mobilized the state militia, including many Black soldiers, to restore order and uphold civil rights.
This bold action was one of the first major governmental responses to Klan violence and highlighted the intense resistance to Black freedom and political participation during Reconstruction.
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