Enforcement Act of 1870 Criminalizes KKK Terrorism

The First Ku Klux Klan Act (Enforcement Act of 1870) made it a federal crime to interfere with citizens' right to vote, hold office, or enjoy equal protection. It authorized federal courts and military intervention to enforce the 15th Amendment. A second Enforcement Act (February 1871) strengthened federal supervision of elections. The Acts produced hundreds of federal prosecutions: in South Carolina alone, over 600 KKK members were indicted. However, federal commitment waned rapidly: most prosecutions were dropped by the mid-1870s as Northern political will collapsed.