A Level History - America - Practice Exam

Which event is often viewed as a culmination of racial violence during Reconstruction?

1. The signing of the Civil Rights Act

2. The Colfax Massacre

3. The passage of the 15th Amendment

4. The founding of the NAACP

The correct answer is: The Colfax Massacre

The Colfax Massacre is viewed as a culmination of racial violence during Reconstruction because it exemplified the heightened tensions and brutal conflicts that characterized the period as efforts were made to extend civil rights to formerly enslaved African Americans. Occurring in April 1873 in Colfax, Louisiana, this violent incident involved white supremacists attacking a group of black citizens who had attempted to exercise their rights to vote and participate in local governance. The massacre resulted in the deaths of an estimated 100 African Americans and effectively demonstrated the lengths to which white supremacist groups would go to maintain power and suppress black political participation. Unlike the Civil Rights Act and the 15th Amendment, which were legislative efforts to secure rights for African Americans, the Colfax Massacre illustrated the violent backlash against these advancements. The founding of the NAACP occurred much later, in 1909, aiming to combat racial inequality through legal means, but it was not a direct response to the violence of the Reconstruction era. Thus, the Colfax Massacre stands out as a tragic and significant event reflecting the struggle for racial equality and the violent resistance that it provoked during this critical period in American history.