On this day in 1870, the United States Congress passed the first Enforcement Act, a landmark piece of legislation aimed at protecting the civil and voting rights of Black Americans during the Reconstruction era. The act imposed strict penalties on public officials and private citizens who attempted to interfere with the suffrage or civil liberties of others—particularly targeting violent groups like the Ku Klux Klan.
Most notably, the law authorized the use of federal troops, including the U.S. Army, to safeguard elections and enforce civil rights in areas where these protections were under threat. This act marked an early federal effort to confront racial violence and voter suppression in the post-Civil War South.
© 2025 KnowThyHistory.com. Know Thy History
