What was the primary purpose of Military Reconstruction in the South?

• A. To protect and ensure the rights of newly freed enslaved people.
• B. To reinstate Confederate governments immediately.
• C. To end Reconstruction after a few years.
• D. To expand slavery in southern states.

Answer: (B)

Military Reconstruction was about securing the rights of the newly freed people by placing the former Confederate states under federal military oversight to enforce civil rights and rebuild state governments. Under this plan, southern states had to accept new rules—like ratifying the 14th Amendment and allowing Black men to vote—and operate under the protection of federal troops until those reforms were in place. The aim was to dismantle old power structures that had supported slavery and ensure governments in the South adhered to federal standards, not to return to prewar leadership. Slavery had already been abolished, so expanding slavery isn’t the goal.