The year Reconstruction ended?

• A. 1865
• B. 1869
• C. 1870
• D. 1880

Answer: (C)

Reconstruction ends when the federal government stopped enforcing protections for newly freed people in the South, and troops were withdrawn, shifting control back to Southern states. That moment came in 1877 after the Compromise of 1877, which led to the withdrawal of federal troops and allowed return to “home rule.” Earlier milestones during Reconstruction include the 13th Amendment ending slavery (ratified in 1865), the 14th Amendment defining citizenship and equal protection (1868), and the 15th Amendment protecting voting rights for Black men (1870). These are important steps from the era, but they happened before Reconstruction ended. So, the correct end year is 1877, which is later than the dates listed.