<image 1> The sentiments expressed in the cartoon most directly contributed to which of the following?
['The compromise ending Reconstruction', 'The rise of the Ku Klux Klan in the South', 'The enactment of segregation laws in Southern states', 'The passage of the Fifteenth Amendment']
The sentiments expressed in the cartoon most directly contributed to the passage of the Fifteenth Amendment. The Fifteenth Amendment states that the vote may not be denied to someone based on "race, color, or previous condition of servitude." Voting rights for African Americans was a key element of the Reconstruction program of the radical Republicans. The cartoon shows empathy for African Americans, depicted being pushed to the ground and having the vote denied them. The other choices all reflect the point of view of white southern opponents of Reconstruction. The compromise in 1877 that allowed Republican Rutherford B. Hayes to assume the White House also led to the end of Reconstruction, allowing Democrats in the South to reestablish power (A). One factor in pushing African Americans from meaningful participation in the political process was the rise of the Ku Klux Klan in the South (B). After Reconstruction southern states enacted segregation laws (C), further solidifying the second-class status of African Americans.