How was this section of the 14th amendment significant to reconstruction. Basically, I don't understand the last part that starts at this section ensured.....

Section 3. No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability.This section ensured that the North majority would be safe from the re-admittance of southern radicals who would once again cause problems prevalent to Congress prior to the Civil War.

They were protecting the govenment from the type of devisive argument from the Southern secessionists that had been representatives before the War.

The Constitutional ban on political participation in southern and national politics by former Dixie participants in Civil War opened the door for blacks and northern "carpetbaggers" to get elected in the South. This resulted in a backlash that lead to the popularity of the Ku Klux Klan, lynchings and later Jim Crow Laws in the South. These are my opinions.

The section of the 14th Amendment that you're referring to, Section 3, was significant to the Reconstruction era for several reasons. This section aimed to address the issue of former Confederate officials, supporters, and military officers seeking positions of power in the restored Union government.

Essentially, Section 3 established a "disability" on anyone who had taken an oath to support the Constitution of the United States and had engaged in insurrection or rebellion against it, or had given aid or comfort to the enemies of the United States. This meant that such individuals would be barred from serving as Senators, Representatives in Congress, electors of the President and Vice President, or holding any civil or military office under both the federal government and any state government.

The purpose of this provision was to prevent individuals who had actively participated in or supported the Confederacy during the Civil War from regaining positions of power and influence within the government. This was important because it aimed to ensure that those who had been involved in insurrection against the United States would not be in a position to hinder the reconstruction efforts or pose a threat to the stability of the newly reunified nation.

However, it's important to note that this prohibition was not permanent. Congress retained the power, through a two-thirds vote of both the House and the Senate, to remove the disability imposed by Section 3. This meant that if an individual's disqualification was deemed no longer necessary or relevant, Congress could vote to reinstate their eligibility for office.

Overall, Section 3 of the 14th Amendment played a role in safeguarding the reconstruction process by preventing former Confederate officials and supporters from holding positions of power that could potentially hinder the nation's efforts to rebuild and ensure the rights and protections of newly freed African Americans.