Force Acts
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Force Acts can refer to several groups of acts passed by Congress. The term usually refers to the events after the Civil War.
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[edit] Jefferson's Embargo
The first time a force act was used was in 1807, when Congress forced "Jefferson's Embargo" to be repealed.[citation needed]
[edit] Andrew Jackson's tariff enforcement
In 1833, a Force Act was passed by Congress at Andrew Jackson's request, as part of the Nullification Crisis.[1][2]
Congress put a heavy tariff on imports and raw materials, an act aimed at promoting domestic manufacturing. South Carolina declared federal protective tariffs void and therefore tried to prohibit duty collection. The Act gave the president the authority to use military power to enforce revenue laws. Fortunately, he never had to; instead, a compromise tariff was proposed by Henry Clay—one which John C. Calhoun and other South Carolinians eventually accepted.
The conflict helped enforce the idea of secession which ultimately lead to the American Civil War.
[edit] Acts after the Civil War
The four Force Acts passed by the Congress of the United States shortly after the American Civil War helped protect the voting rights of African-Americans.
The Force Acts were mainly aimed at limiting the reach of the Ku Klux Klan. Through the acts, the government gave itself the power to prevent the Klan from using its scare tactics to influence voters or prevent them from voting. The Klan mainly accomplished this by standing around outside the voting area in their white sheets with shotguns threatening and slandering any African American that attempted to enter the voting area.
The KKK became powerful during early Reconstruction. The Klan was one of several secret organizations that tried to keep African Americans from using their civil rights.
The KKK began in Pulaski, Tennessee, in 1865 as a social club for returned soldiers. However, it very quickly changed into a force of terror. Members dressed in white robes and hoods so no one would recognize them. They moved at night and frightened blacks with whippings and murders.
By 1868, The KKK was active in Georgia. It tried to disfranchise blacks (keep them from voting) or keep them from participating in the government. The Klan became so powerful in the South that Congress passed laws to end it.
The Force Act of 1870 (which came in effect in 1871) was an act that ended most of the Ku Klux Klan. In this act, the government banned the use of terror, force or bribery to prevent someone from voting because of their race. Other laws banned the KKK entirely and brought forth military help to enforce these laws. Eventually, KKK members were tried and thousands of Klansmen were arrested. The first Klan was almost eradicated within a year.
[edit] References
- ^ Nullification Proclamation. Primary Documents in American History. Library of Congress (2006-03-07). Retrieved on February 24, 2007.
- ^ Statutes at Large, 22nd Congress, 2nd Session, page 632. A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation: U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates, 1774 - 1875. Library of Congress (1833-03-02). Retrieved on February 24, 2007.
