Final answer:
During Reconstruction, the democratic voting base notably included black Americans in rural areas, as African Americans began to engage in democratic participation and win elections across the South.
Step-by-step explanation:
During the period of Reconstruction, the democratic voting base primarily included black Americans who lived in rural areas. Reconstruction marked the first mass democratic participation for African Americans in the South, transforming it from a pro-slavery, Democratic stronghold to a region with African Americans in positions of power and Republican-led states. Federal authorities encouraged blacks to vote, hold public jobs, and take government positions. However, the New South during the 1890s also saw the rise of a Southern Democratic Party that was diverse in composition but united in its goal to prevent former slaves from voting or holding office.