1 In 1868 this southern state passed a law imposing heavy fines and long jail sentences on anyone caught away from home wearing a mask?

Answer 1

In 1868, the state of Louisiana passed a law imposing heavy fines and long jail sentences on individuals found wearing masks in public. This legislation was primarily aimed at combating the activities of the Ku Klux Klan and other groups that used disguises to perpetrate acts of violence and intimidation against African Americans and their allies during the Reconstruction era. The law reflected the broader efforts to restore order and protect civil rights in the post-Civil War South.