End of Reconstruction

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• End of Reconstruction

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The Election of Grant

• Republican candidate Ulysses S. Grant was elected
  president in 1868
• About 500,000 A.A. voted in the South, despite
  attacks by the K.K.K.
• Most voted for Grant
• Their votes were critical, for Grant won the
  popular vote by only a slim majority

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The 15th Amendment

• After the election, Radical Republicans proposed
  the 15th Amendment, which stated that citizens
  could not be stopped from voting on account of
  race, color, or previous condition of servitude.
• The amendment became law in 1870

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Grant Fights the Klan

• At Pres. Grants request, Congress passed a tough
  law against the K.K.K
• Federal marshals then arrested thousands of
  Klansmen, and Klan violence declined
• As a result, the 1872 presidential election was
  both fair and peaceful
• Grant was reelected

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Scandal and panic Weaken Republicans

• However, scandals hurt the Grant administration
• Many of Grants advisers were not qualified for
  their jobs
• Others took bribes
• In 1872, some outraged Republican officials
  formed a new group, the Liberal Republican Party

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• With their party split, Republicans were less
  willing to impose tough Reconstruction plans on
  the South
• In 1873, an economic depression began when
  several Eastern banks failed
• This was known as the Panic of 1873
• The depression lasted about 5 years
• During these hard times, most Americans were
  losing interest in Reconstruction

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Supreme Court Reversals

• In an 1876 case, U.S. vs. Reese, the Court ruled
  that the 15th Amendment merely listed grounds on
  which states could not deny the vote.
• States therefore could prevent A.A from voting
  for other reasons
• States began to use poll taxes and literacy test
  to keep A.A. from voting

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Reconstruction Ends

• The final blow to Reconstruction came with the
  1876 presidential election
• When the race between Democrat Samuel J. Tilden
  and Republican Rutherford B. Hayes ended without
  a clear winner, Congress appointed a special
  committee to decide the election

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• With the Compromise of 1877, the committee made
  Hayes president
• In return, Republicans removed federal troops
  from the South, causing Southern Reconstruction
  governments to collapse

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The Legacy of Reconstruction

• A.A. made lasting gains during Reconstruction
• Protection of civil rights became part of the
  U.S. Constitution
• Black schools and churches were est.
• But many A.A. remained poor
• Few took part in politics
• Furthermore, A.A. continued to face widespread
  violence and prejudice