Final answer:
The Ku Klux Klan (KKK) had a negative impact on African American progress during Reconstruction by intimidating and suppressing Black citizens from exercising their rights and freedoms.
Step-by-step explanation:
During Reconstruction, the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) had a significant impact on African American progress. Rather than encouraging African Americans regarding government positions, the Klan actively sought to prevent African Americans from exercising their rights and freedoms. They engaged in acts of intimidation and violence, including burning public schools and suppressing Black citizens from voting.