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13th Amendment
- Made slavery and involuntary servitude punishable by law;
- Enslaved African Americans are freed; > Led to the creation of the Freedmen's Bureau.
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14th amendment
- People born or naturalized in the United States are provided citizenship and equal protection under the laws;
- African Americans and freedmen can own land and businesses; > Formerly enslaved people cannot be penalized for their debts.
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15th Amendment
- Voting rights shall not be denied on account of race, color, or previous conditions of servitude;
- African Americans and freedmen can vote without discrimination or interference; > Women suffrage groups were still not allowed to vote, resulting in further uproar.
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Enforcement Act of 1870
- Prohibited discrimination in voter registration on the basis of race, color, or previous condition of servitude + federal marshals can bring charges against offenders for election fraud, bribery or intimidation of voters, and preventing citizens from exercising their rights;
- African Americans were able to vote safely while protected from interference or intimidation; > Weakened the power of the KKK and contributed to the eradication of the first Klan.
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Enforcement Act of 1871
- Permitted federal oversight of local and state elections if any two citizens in a town with more than twenty-thousand inhabitants desired it;
- More severe punishments + larger fines for disregarding the regulations + prison sentences vary in length;
- African Americans are further protected in voting rights; > Weakened the KKK + made people suffer harsher punishments.
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Ku Klux Klan Act
- Entirely outlawed the KKK;
- African Americans are further protected from the violence and intimidation of the KKK;
- Made the KKK's intimidation tactics into federal offenses + authorized the militia to suppress conspiracies against the operation of the federal government + prohibited those suspected of complicity in such conspiracies to serve on juries related to the Klan's activities; > Resulted in fairer juries and further protection for African Americans.
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Civil Rights Act of 1875
- Guarantees all citizens, regardless of color, access to accommodations, theaters, public schools, churches, and cemeteries;
- African Americans had equal treatment in public transportation, public accommodations and service on juries; > Failed to have a lasting effect: the legislation was oftentimes ignored by Southern states and the federal government did not have strong enforcement mechanisms.