Question

question 12 of 20

black communities and black leaders supported reconstruction by:

a. refusing to participate in the sharecropping system.
b. serving in the military to enforce reconstruction policies directly.
c. voting for radical republican candidates in elections.
d. opening their own businesses that supported reconstruction.

Explanation:

Analyze the historical context of Reconstruction

During the Reconstruction Era, newly enfranchised African American voters and leaders actively participated in the political process. They overwhelmingly aligned with the Republican Party, particularly the Radical Republicans, who championed civil rights, equal protection, and black suffrage.

Evaluate the provided options

• A. refusing to participate in the sharecropping system: Incorrect. Many Black families were forced into sharecropping due to lack of land ownership and economic alternatives, rather than using it as a organized political boycott.
• B. serving in the military to enforce Reconstruction policies directly: Incorrect. While African Americans served in the Union Army during the Civil War, military enforcement during Reconstruction was conducted by the federal standing army, not newly formed local black militias.
• C. voting for Radical Republican candidates in elections: Correct. Mobilizing the black electorate to vote for Radical Republicans was the primary and most effective way Black communities and leaders supported and sustained Reconstruction policies.
• D. opening their own businesses that supported Reconstruction: Incorrect. While Black business ownership grew, it was not the primary mechanism of political support for Reconstruction.

Determine the correct choice

Voting for Radical Republicans directly empowered the political faction dedicated to protecting civil rights in the South.

Answer:

• (A) refusing to participate in the sharecropping system.
• (B) serving in the military to enforce Reconstruction policies directly.
• (C) voting for Radical Republican candidates in elections. (Correct answer)
• (D) opening their own businesses that supported Reconstruction.