Final answer:
The Enforcement Acts allowed the federal government to expand its authority to suppress the Ku Klux Klan by imposing martial law and suspending the writ of habeas corpus, thus strengthening the protection of African Americans' civil rights.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Enforcement Acts allowed the federal government to expand its powers in order to confront the violent activities of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK). Through these acts, specifically, the Third Enforcement Act, also known as the Ku Klux Klan Act, the president could impose martial law in Klan-dominated areas and suspend the writ of habeas corpus. This temporary suspension permitted the jailing of individuals suspected of Klan activities without immediate trial. The Enforcement Acts were critical in protecting African Americans' civil rights by allowing federal intervention to prosecute those depriving them of these rights and to curtail Klan violence, especially in places where local and state authorities failed to act effectively against such violence. They were essential for supporting the Reconstruction efforts to ensure liberties and safety for the newly freed African American population after the Civil War.