Compromise of 1877: Ending Reconstruction — Reading Comprehension

The Compromise of 1877 marked a turning point in United States history by bringing the era of Reconstruction to an end. The dispute began after the presidential election of 1876, which was one of the most controversial in American history. Rutherford B. Hayes, the Republican candidate, and Samuel J. Tilden, the Democratic candidate, both claimed victory. The results were so close that several Southern states sent in competing sets of electoral votes. This crisis created uncertainty and threatened to divide the country.

At the heart of the problem was a bitter disagreement over how to handle the South after the Civil War. Republicans wanted to continue federal protection for African Americans and ensure their civil rights. Democrats, especially in the South, wanted to regain control and end the presence of federal troops in their states. Many white Southerners resented the changes brought by Reconstruction, including the expansion of rights for formerly enslaved people.

To resolve the dispute, Congress created a special electoral commission. However, the official decision did not satisfy everyone. Behind closed doors, political leaders from both parties negotiated a secret deal, now known as the Compromise of 1877. In exchange for accepting Hayes as president, Republicans agreed to withdraw federal troops from the South. The deal also promised to appoint at least one Southern Democrat to Hayes’s cabinet and to support the building of a Southern railroad. Although not written down in law, the agreement was powerful and effective.

This compromise had significant consequences. With federal troops removed, Southern states quickly returned to white Democratic control. African Americans, who had gained the right to vote and hold office during Reconstruction, lost much of their political power and protection. New laws, known as Jim Crow laws, were soon passed to enforce racial segregation and discrimination. As historian Eric Foner wrote, “The abandonment of Reconstruction left African Americans to face the South’s racial order alone.”

Some Northerners believed the compromise was necessary for national unity and for ending conflict. Others, including many African Americans, saw it as a betrayal of the promises made after the Civil War. In a letter from 1877, African American leader Frederick Douglass warned, “If the government abandons its duty, the colored people will be left defenseless.” This quote highlights the feelings of fear and disappointment among those who lost federal protection.

The Compromise of 1877 reveals the complex motivations and consequences of political decisions. While it did solve the immediate crisis of the 1876 election, it also sacrificed the rights of millions of African Americans in the South. The end of Reconstruction allowed racist laws and practices to spread, shaping the country’s history for decades. The event reminds us that solving one problem can create new challenges for others.

Interesting Fact: The Compromise of 1877 was never written as a formal law. Instead, it was an informal agreement made through negotiation and political pressure.

Who became president after the 1876 election?

What year did the Compromise of 1877 occur?

Which group lost protection after the compromise?

Why did Southern Democrats want federal troops removed?

What was a consequence of the compromise?

What does the quote from Douglass show?

The compromise was a formal law. True or false?

What is a 'compromise'?