The correct answer is:
C. required new state governments in the South to ratify the Fourteenth Amendment.
Explanation:
1. In 1867, Congressional plans for Reconstruction were outlined in the Reconstruction Acts.
2. These acts required Southern states to form new governments that included African American men and to ratify the Fourteenth Amendment to be readmitted to the Union.
3. The Fourteenth Amendment, adopted in 1868, granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the United States, including former slaves, and provided equal protection under the law.
4. By requiring the ratification of the Fourteenth Amendment, Congress aimed to ensure civil rights and equal protection for all citizens, especially African Americans in the South.
