What was the purpose of the Enforcement Acts?

They were three bills passed by the United States Congress between 1870 and 1871 and were criminal codes which protected African Americans right to vote, to hold office, to serve juries and receive equal protection of laws.

Three amendments and other pieces of legislations passed after the Civil War intended to free black people from slavery and enfranchised them within the US political system, but there was strong resistance in the southern states from the white population and authorities. So it was deemed necessary for Congress to authorize the presidency to use military force.

The Enforcement Act refers actually to three separate laws that Congress voted in the years 1870 and 1871. They aimed specifically at protecting African Americans' right to vote, to hold office, to serve on juries, and to receive equal protection of laws. The three bills are the Enforcement Act of 1870, the Enforcement Act of 1871, and the Ku Klux Klan Act.