Final answer:
The Enforcement Acts were passed to combat Ku Klux Klan intimidation and violence against African Americans, particularly at the polls, by authorizing the federal government to intervene directly, including the use of military force.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Enforcement Acts, also known as the Force Acts, were a series of laws passed by Congress in 1870 and 1871 to address the violence perpetrated by the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) and to protect the civil rights of African Americans.
The key components of these acts included criminalizing actions that aimed to deprive African Americans of their civil rights, allowing the federal government to supersede state courts in prosecuting these crimes, and enabling the use of federal troops to enforce the laws.
The third of these acts, known as the Ku Klux Klan Act, particularly provided the President with the authority to impose martial law in areas controlled by the Klan, suspend the writ of habeas corpus, and use federal troops to maintain order.
As a consequence, President Ulysses S. Grant suspended habeas corpus in nine South Carolina counties and sent federal troops to ensure peace and safety for black voters. Although the implementation of these acts led to a short-term decrease in Klan activities and a fair election in 1872, the long-term success was undermined as federal opposition to the Klan waned, and southern Democrats reestablished control over southern states.