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Which of the following was a key difference between Radical Reconstruction and Post-Reconstruction constitutions?

(A) The role of the federal government in protecting the rights of African Americans.
(B) The extent of suffrage for African Americans.
(C) The power of the state governments.
(D) All of the above.

1 Answer

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Final answer:

The difference between Radical Reconstruction and Post-Reconstruction constitutions related to the role and commitment of the federal government to African American rights, suffrage extension to African Americans, and state government powers, with the Radical Reconstruction period being more progressive compared to the subsequent retrenchment during the Post-Reconstruction era.

Step-by-step explanation:

A key difference between Radical Reconstruction and Post-Reconstruction constitutions was (D) All of the above, namely, the role of the federal government in protecting the rights of African Americans, the extent of suffrage for African Americans, and the power of the state governments. During Radical Reconstruction, the federal government, through the influence of Radical Republicans, played a more active role in ensuring the rights of African Americans, exemplified by the ratification of the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments. These amendments sought to establish citizenship rights, equal protections, and suffrage without regard to race, color, or previous condition of servitude.

After the end of Reconstruction, with the withdrawal of federal troops and the resurgence of white supremacy in Southern states, the Post-Reconstruction period saw the implementation of new state constitutions that rolled back the advances made, leading to widespread disenfranchisement of African Americans through measures such as literacy tests and poll taxes, the rise of Jim Crow laws, and a significant decrease in the power of state governments to protect African American rights.

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