Final answer:
The Enforcement Acts were federal laws passed to combat voter suppression and protect the civil rights of African American citizens in the United States.
Step-by-step explanation:
The purpose of the Enforcement Acts was to combat voter suppression and protect the civil rights of African American citizens in the United States following the Civil War. These acts were a series of federal laws passed by Congress in 1870 and 1871. They aimed to enforce and protect the rights granted to African Americans under the 15th Amendment, which granted voting rights to all citizens regardless of race or color.
The Enforcement Acts addressed the widespread violence and intimidation tactics used by white supremacist groups, such as the Ku Klux Klan, to prevent African Americans from exercising their constitutional rights. These acts authorized the federal government to intervene in states where voter suppression and civil rights violations were prevalent, and empowered federal marshals to protect African American voters at the polls.
The Enforcement Acts were effective in curbing voter suppression and protecting civil rights to some extent, but they faced challenges in enforcement and were eventually weakened by subsequent court rulings. However, they played a significant role in setting a precedent for federal intervention in safeguarding civil rights in the United States.
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