Terrorism in the 1800’s became this thing that would keep the public in line and put fear into their minds. This was exactly what the KKK was doing and the reason it was such an effective way of terrorism. The KKK’s main goals was to weaken the political power of Southern blacks and Republicans. In the time leading up to the 1868 presidential election, the Klan’s activities picked up in speed and brutality. They would terrorizing and murdering its party leaders and all those who voted for the Republicans. The election, which pitted Republican Ulysses S. Grant against Democrat Horatio Seymour, was crucial, proving that their methods of terrorism was working. In Kansas, Georgia and Louisiana there was more than 5000 murders committed in connection with the election. In those three states, Democrats won decisive victories at the polls. The fear of being brutally beaten and killed terrified each and every African American so deeply to the point they would be voting for the opposite option then they wanted, with the chance that the percentage of them staying alive would go up. While the KKK was at the peak of their terrorism, they were getting exactly what they wanted, which powered them to do more and more. But what goes up must come down. People started to realized that harsher laws would have to be passed in order to stop the violence and protect Southern blacks. In the 1868 presidential election, Republican Ulysses S. Grant won the office with the slogan, “Let Us Have Peace.” Republicans also won a majority in Congress. Many Northerners, disgusted by Klan violence, lent their support to the Fifteenth Amendment, which gave the vote to black men in every state, and the First Reconstruction Act of 1867, which placed harsher restrictions on the South and closely regulated the formation of their new governments. This lead to more and more legislations attacking the Klan more directly and in 1871 Congress also passed the Ku Klux Klan Act, which allowed the government to act against terrorist organizations, ultimately ending not only the Klan but also starting the very slow long battle towards ending segregation. So, in the short run the KKK was a extremely successful way of terrorism but in the long run the KKK did not get what they wanted but the exact opposite.
