What were the customary forms of white Southern resistance to Reconstruction policies?

• A. Nonviolent protests
• B. Economic sanctions
• C. Violence, intimidation, political manipulation, and Black Codes
• D. International diplomacy

Answer: (C)

White Southern resistance to Reconstruction relied on tactics meant to restore white supremacy and limit Black rights through force, law, and political power plays. Organized violence and intimidation by groups like the Ku Klux Klan sought to terrorize Black communities and deter African Americans from voting or participating in politics. At the same time, Black Codes were enacted to curtail civil liberties, regulate labor, mobility, and daily life, and keep African Americans in a subordinate status even after emancipation. Political manipulation—altering or blocking elections, disenfranchising Black voters, and undermining Republican authority—further reinforced white supremacy during this period. While nonviolent protests occurred in some cases, they were not the defining pattern of resistance; economic or international strategies were not central to how white Southerners resisted Reconstruction.