The Second Enforcement Act of 1871, sometimes called the Civil Rights Act of 1871 or the Second Ku Klux Klan Act, was a

United States federal law The law of the United States comprises many levels of codified and uncodified forms of law, of which the most important is the nation's Constitution, which prescribes the foundation of the federal government of the United States, as well as ...

. The act was the second of three Enforcement Acts passed by the

United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washing ...

from 1870 to 1871 during the Reconstruction Era to combat attacks on the

voting rights Suffrage, political franchise, or simply franchise, is the right to vote in representative democracy, public, political elections and referendums (although the term is sometimes used for any right to vote). In some languages, and occasionally i ...

of African Americans from groups like the Ku Klux Klan.

Legislative history

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

Representative Representative may refer to: Politics * Representative democracy, type of democracy in which elected officials represent a group of people * House of Representatives, legislative body in various countries or sub-national entities * Legislator, som ...

John C. Churchill John Charles Churchill (January 17, 1821 – June 4, 1905) was an American lawyer and politician from New York. Life John C. Churchill was born in Mooers, New York on January 17, 1821. He attended the Burr Seminary, Manchester, Vermont, and ...

from New York introduced his bill H.R. 2634 in the

41st United States Congress The 41st United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 186 ...

. The bill was passed by Congress in February 1871 and signed into law by

United States President The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United Stat ...

Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant ; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was an American military officer and politician who served as the 18th president of the United States from 1869 to 1877. As Commanding General, he led the Union Ar ...

on February 28, 1871.

References

Anti-discrimination law in the United States History of African-American civil rights Reconstruction Era legislation United States federal civil rights legislation United States federal criminal legislation United States federal sovereign immunity case law 42nd United States Congress {{US-fed-statute-stub