What was the purpose of the Force Acts of 1870?

The Force Acts of 1870 were primarily designed to combat the violence and intimidation perpetrated by the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) and other similar groups against African Americans and their supporters during the Reconstruction Era. After the Civil War, as the rights of freed slaves were being established, organizations like the KKK utilized terror to undermine these rights, particularly in the Southern states.

The First Force Act, specifically, allowed the federal government to intervene in situations where state laws were insufficient to protect citizens' rights, thereby enabling federal enforcement against crimes such as those committed by the KKK. This legislation was part of a broader effort to uphold the 14th and 15th Amendments, which focused on African American citizenship and voting rights. By allowing for the use of federal troops and imposing penalties on those who violated these rights, the Force Acts aimed to ensure that African Americans could exercise their newfound freedoms without fear of violence or discrimination.

The other options relate to areas that were either outside the scope of the Force Acts or addressed issues that were not their primary focus, making option B the most accurate choice regarding the purpose of the Acts.