Final answer:
The Ku Klux Klan continued to exist due to its members in public places, and a lack of enforcing laws to prohibit their activities. It wasn't until the Enforcement Acts of 1870 and 1871 that the government began to assert pressure against them.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Ku Klux Klan was able to continue to exist primarily due to two reasons. The first reason was their membership - several Klan members were in public office, granting them a certain amount of power and protection. The second reason lies in the fact that for a significant period in time, there weren't substantive governmental efforts or laws prohibiting their activities.
To further establish white supremacy, Klan members targeted and punished black people who sought to improve their societal positions or acted in a manner the Klan perceived as inappropriate. They burned public schools to prevent black citizens from getting an education, and used murder, whipping, and intimidation to discourage them from voting. Political assassination was also a tactic they used, as with the killing of a sitting U.S. congressman from Arkansas and three state congressmen from South Carolina.
It wasn’t until the 1870 and 1871 Enforcement Acts were passed that any legal actions were taken against the Klan. These laws, also known as the 'Force Acts', were designed to outlaw intimidation at the polls and to allow the federal government to prosecute crimes against freed people in federal, rather than state, courts.
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