Final answer:
The division of the South into military districts under the First Reconstruction Act of 1867 was intended to facilitate order and support the implementation of congressional Reconstruction policies, including the protection of freed slaves' rights and the restructuring of southern state governments in accordance with the Fourteenth Amendment.
Step-by-step explanation:
The policy of dividing the South into military districts was a significant measure during the Reconstruction Era, specifically under the First Reconstruction Act of 1867. After the Civil War, these military districts were created to reestablish order and civil authority in the South, which was in disarray following the Confederacy's defeat. Dividing the South into five military districts, each overseen by a Union general and supported by federal troops, was aimed to protect the freedom of newly emancipated slaves and to enforce the Reconstruction policies of Congress, especially in areas where resistance to the new laws was most severe.
The military commanders had several key responsibilities. They were tasked with ensuring that new requirements for voting were established, which included overseeing the voter registration process. This ensured that the newly freed African American men could participate in the elections, a radical change in the South's political landscape. Furthermore, the military districts were responsible for setting up new state governments and overseeing the drafting of new state constitutions that were to include provisions for the newly defined civil rights.
Only after new state constitutions had been written and the states had ratified the Fourteenth Amendment were they allowed to rejoin the Union. This process, despite being met with strong resistance from President Andrew Johnson, who vetoed the Reconstruction Acts, was upheld by Congress which overrode his vetoes. By the end of 1870, all the southern states had complied with the requirements and had been readmitted into the Union. The division of the South into military districts thus played a pivotal role in the political reconstruction of the region and the protection of African-American rights during a crucial period in American history.