Which statement best describes the federal government’s response to racial violence in the South in the late 1800s? The federal
government kept the military in the South to stop racial violence until the expense became too great. The federal government never sent troops to maintain order in the South in the years after the Civil War. The federal government made the protection of African Americans in the South a top priority and maintained a military presence. The federal government pulled out troops from the South at the end of Reconstruction, leaving African Americans unprotected.
The correct answer is The federal government pulled out troops from the South at the end of Reconstruction, leaving African Americans unprotected.
The Reconstruction era ended thanks to the Compromise of 1877. This compromise between Northern and Southern politicians allowed for Rutherford B. Hayes to become president without a challenge from Southern states whose electoral votes were still in question. In return, Northerners promised to pull out the federal troops that were implemented in these states after the Civil War. Ultimately, this move greatly reduced the legal and political rights of African-Americans in the South for the next 6 decades.
