The Reconstruction Act was a series of laws passed by the United States Congress in 1867 aimed at rebuilding the South after the Civil War. It divided the South into five military districts, each governed by a Union general. The Act required Southern states to create new constitutions that guaranteed African American men the right to vote, ensuring their participation in the political process. The Reconstruction Act was part of a broader effort to integrate formerly enslaved people into society and protect their civil rights. It faced significant opposition from many Southern whites and led to the rise of groups like the Ku Klux Klan, which sought to undermine these changes through violence and intimidation.