Reconstruction's progress sparked a vicious backlash. In this episode, we confront the rise of white supremacist violence through the Ku Klux Klan and other paramilitary groups determined to restore white dominance by terror. Night raids, intimidation, and murder became political tools, while the federal government fought to preserve law and order in the South. The episode explores how Congress responded with the Ku Klux Klan Acts — and why, despite those efforts, fear and racism continued to erode Reconstruction's gains. It's a chilling look at how progress met its fiercest enemies in the shadows.