Military Reconstruction Act

The Military Reconstruction Act of 1867 was a law passed after the Civil War to rebuild and secure rights in the South. It divided the former Confederate states into military districts overseen by Union troops, with the goal of maintaining order and protecting newly granted rights for formerly enslaved people. The act required Southern states to create new constitutions, guarantee voting rights for African Americans, and ratify the 14th Amendment to rejoin the Union. Essentially, it used military force to enforce laws and reforms aimed at ensuring civil rights and rebuilding Southern governance after the war.