WHY DID THE US GOV’T CEASE RECONSTRUCTION PROCEDURES IN THE SOUTH?

WHY IS GRANT CONSIDERED ONE OF THE WORST US PRESIDENTS IN US HISTORY?

4.8 Grant and Reconstruction-Abandonment

1868 Presidential Election

Grant vs. Seymour1st time use of running mates

1868 Presidential Election

Grant was a well respected candidate by both sides.

Father of four and good military leader.

Personal problems- drinking, post traumatic stress from war, not a strong or smart political leader.

Inherited problems from Johnson’s term.

1868 Election Results

1st Term Problems

Grant had numerous scandals and problems occur under his watch

Whiskey Ring: Grant’s secretary attempted to evade IRS taxes

Tammany Hall: New York “Boss” Tweed took advantage of immigrants and low-wage

workers Gold Price Fixing: Grant was unaware, Fisk/Gould Scandal Indian Rebellion: Whites encroach on Indian territory

(Gold) Belknap: Secretary of War who didn’t always support Grant

1st Term Problems

In the south politicians take advantage of this president and further alienate African Americans by:

Literacy Test

Voters must take a test demonstrating an ability to read and write

State examiners could deliberately pass whites and fail blacks

Poll Tax

Citizens had to pay a tax to the state before being allowed to vote.

Most blacks could not afford to pay the tax due to their serfdom status

Grandfather Clause

A person who’s grandfather voted before 1867 could vote without a literacy test

Only whites had grandfathers who voted before 1867

Election of 1872

Despite all these issues Grant wins re-election in 1872.

Amnesty Act of 1872 and Panic of 1873

Choose one of the following: Look it up online or in a US history textbook, explain the key ideas related to the event.

Amnesty Act of ‘72- (Who is receiving Amnesty?) Public opinion had changed by this point and Congress

had shifted in leadership = the north was more interested in personal pursuits than helping slaves.

Most troops were withdrawn from the south and 160,000 former Confederates received restored voting rights.

Panic of 73- Brought on by changes globally (Germany changing

currency off of silver standard Brought on by US use of Greenback (promissory notes

from Civil War period)

Election of 1876

Democratic Candidate: Samuel TildenRepublican Candidate: Rutherford B. HayesRepublicans accused Democrats in the south of

ignoring African American votes.Democrats accused Republicans of ignoring Tilden

voters (particularly in a Florida precinct).In Florida, Louisiana, Oregon, South Carolina each

submitted two sets of electoral returns from voting with different results!

Congress created a committee (The Electoral Commission) to try and work out the contested election.

Why didn’t the Federal Gov’t stop Racial Segregation & Jim Crow Politics

in the South?

The commission became bogged down in he-said/she-said politics between Democrats and Republicans. The acrimony was so severe, people feared a 2nd Civil War…

In order to establish the next president and avert a crisis, Democrats and Republicans met at the Wormley Hotel (Washington D.C.).

The Democrats agreed to accept Rutherford B. Hayes’ election IF Republicans agree to withdraw federal troops from the South, provide funding for Southern improvements (railroads, building repairs etc.), & include a Southern politician in the Cabinet.

The Compromise that ended Reconstruction

Compromise of 1877: Federal troops withdrawn from the south , Republican leaders in the South lost power, Reconstruction comes to an end…

What impacts do you think will come about due to this deal?

What dangers could this lead to for black people in southern states?

Disputed Election of 1876

Read Digital History and make a power-point slide for the Disputed Election of 1876

Your slide must have an Image; at least 3-5 bullet points and explanation of the major ideas in the reading.

Feel free to look up additional information. Don’t put too much text on a slide; abbreviate

your ideas into short blurbs