Question

Determine whether each of the following was a goal of the Freedmen's Bureau or the Ku Klux Klan during Reconstruction.

the Freedmen's Bureau


the Ku Klux Klan

restoring the pre–Civil War social order in the South


ensuring Democratic control of Southern politics


expanding educational opportunities in the South


providing food and shelter to displaced Southerners

Answer 1

- Restoring the pre–Civil War social order in the South: Ku Klux Klan (yes); Freedmen’s Bureau (no).
- The KKK used violence and intimidation to reassert white supremacy and the antebellum racial hierarchy; the Bureau aimed to help freed people gain rights and independence.

- Ensuring Democratic control of Southern politics: Ku Klux Klan (yes); Freedmen’s Bureau (no).
- The Klan worked to intimidate Black voters and Republican supporters so white Democrats could regain power; the Bureau was a federal Reconstruction agency aligned with Republican policies.

- Expanding educational opportunities in the South: Freedmen’s Bureau (yes); Ku Klux Klan (no).
- The Bureau established and funded schools for freedpeople and poor Southerners; the Klan opposed Black advancement, including education.

- Providing food and shelter to displaced Southerners: Freedmen’s Bureau (yes); Ku Klux Klan (no).
- The Bureau provided relief (food, clothing, medical care, temporary housing) to freedpeople and some displaced whites after the war; the Klan’s activities were violent and not relief-oriented.