In the context of United States history after the American Civil War, what was a key part of the political agenda of many Southern Democrats in order to maintain their power?

Introduction / Context:
After the American Civil War and the formal end of slavery, the former Confederate states in the South went through a long and difficult period known as Reconstruction and its aftermath. During this time, political power struggles were intense. Many Southern Democrats sought to restore white supremacy and to weaken the political power of newly freed African Americans and their allies. This question examines the key elements of that political agenda and how fear, violence, and economic policy were used together.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The context is the period after the American Civil War in the Southern states of the United States.

• Southern Democrats in this era are associated with resisting Reconstruction reforms.

• The question lists three specific practices: using fear, using violence, and cutting taxes for landowners.

• The task is to decide whether these were separate or combined parts of a broader political strategy.

Concept / Approach:
To answer correctly, it is important to understand that political power can be maintained through several reinforcing methods. In the post war South, intimidation and direct violence were frequently used to keep African Americans and supportive whites from voting or holding office. At the same time, economic policies such as favouring large landowners through tax structures helped preserve the old social order. Recognising these elements as parts of one combined agenda leads to the correct option that includes all of them together.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Consider the use of fear for political gain. Groups such as the Ku Klux Klan spread terror to discourage political participation by African Americans and their allies. Step 2: Consider the use of organised violence. Lynchings, beatings, and riots were forms of physical violence used to influence elections and public life. Step 3: Consider economic policies. Cutting taxes in ways that favoured large landowners and plantation elites helped keep wealth and land concentrated, limiting the economic independence of poor farmers and former slaves. Step 4: Recognise that these three elements were not isolated, but worked together as a system to maintain political and social control. Step 5: Therefore, the most accurate description of the Southern Democrats agenda in this period is the combined option that includes all of these practices.

Verification / Alternative check:
Historical studies of Reconstruction and the Jim Crow era consistently document both informal and formal methods of control. Informal methods included intimidation and mob violence. Formal methods included voting restrictions, unequal taxation, and policies favouring the interests of large landowners. This pattern confirms that fear, violence, and economic policy were simultaneously used to secure political gains and to prevent genuine equality from developing in the South.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• Using fear and intimidation alone understates the role of physical violence and economic policy.

• Cutting taxes to favour landowners alone ignores the central role of terror and violence in maintaining political control.

• Using organised violence alone overlooks the fact that legal and economic measures were also crucial parts of the strategy.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes focus only on obvious violence and overlook how economic policies can quietly support the same political goals. Others may treat fear and violence as separate rather than closely linked. A careful reading of the options shows that each one describes part of the broader agenda, and that the only fully accurate choice is the option that combines all three strategies.

Final Answer:
The agenda of many Southern Democrats in this period included All of the above strategies together.