What was the state of Reconstruction before Rutherford B. Hayes' Presidency?
Rutherford B. Hayes decision to remove remaining troops from South Carolina and Louisiana in April, 1877 is often seen as the end of Reconstruction. Though the end came during Hayes' presidency, the decline of Reconstruction was already well under way.
Public Opinion Had Turned on Reconstruction
As the years went on after the Civil War, public opinion turned on Reconstruction. The South had opposed Reconstruction from the start, given the humility of defeat, the presence of federal troops, and the imposition of civil rights for African-Americans. Northerners largely supported Reconstruction until the financial Panic of 1873. As the years dragged on and the economy stumbled, Northern support quickly dissipated, as many concluded that Reconstruction was a southern problem not worthy of federal resources [1]. Propaganda, such as the cartoon to the right, significantly soured the public's perception on Reconstruction in both the North and South. "The 'Strong' Government" shows President Grant in a literal carpetbag. His rule is enforced by bayonet, as demonstrated by two Union soldiers and a large arsenal in the bag. The administration is depicted as crushing the South. The United States Supreme Court Had Undermined the Reconstruction Amendments
In the Slaughterhouse Cases (1873), the Supreme Court ruled that the Privileges and Immunities Clause of the 14th amendment applied only to rights granted by the federal government, not by states. The decision undermined the recently ratified 14th and 15th amendments, which both had been major accomplishments for Republicans. Then, in United States vs. Cruikshank (1876) the Supreme Court overturned the convictions of three white men guilty of violating the Enforcement Act, which made prosecuting anti-Black political violence and intimidation more difficult. The Enforcement Act had been one of the most important tools used by the Grant administration to protect the rights of African-Americans in the South. The court's decision helped enable voter suppression in 1876 and further demonstrated the decline of Reconstruction [2]. |
Electoral Gains in 1874 Severely Weakened Reconstruction
Democrats won a majority in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1874 for the first time since the Civil War. They turned a 103 seat minority into a 73 seat majority. After the 1874 election, every state legislature in the southern states was held by Democrats and just three Republican governors remained in the South. The three states with Republican governors and thus Republican electoral boards - South Carolina, Florida, and Louisiana - were the three states with disputed electoral votes in 1876 [3].
Democrats won a majority in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1874 for the first time since the Civil War. They turned a 103 seat minority into a 73 seat majority. After the 1874 election, every state legislature in the southern states was held by Democrats and just three Republican governors remained in the South. The three states with Republican governors and thus Republican electoral boards - South Carolina, Florida, and Louisiana - were the three states with disputed electoral votes in 1876 [3].
Federal Presence in the South was Seriously Diminished
The U.S. Army had dwindled to just 17,000 men. Just 3,000 remained deployed among the ten states of the Confederacy. With Democrats in control of the House and thus the budget in 1874, Republicans were not in a position to grow the military even if public support had been on their side [4].
The U.S. Army had dwindled to just 17,000 men. Just 3,000 remained deployed among the ten states of the Confederacy. With Democrats in control of the House and thus the budget in 1874, Republicans were not in a position to grow the military even if public support had been on their side [4].
Both Hayes and Tilden Signaled Reconstruction's End
The Democratic platform adopted upon Tilden’s nomination reaffirmed the party's “devotion to the Constitution of the United States, with its amendments universally accepted as a final settlement of the controversies that engendered civil war.” While it upheld the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendment, the platform condemned the “rapacity of carpet-bag tyrannies.” On Reconstruction, Democrats resolved that “reform is necessary… by a peaceful civic revolution” [5]. In Hayes’ letter accepting the nomination he took a conciliatory approach to the South, promising to “cherish their truest interests” and work to “wipe out forever the distinction between the North and South in our common country”. He explained, “It will be practicable to promote, by the influence of all legitimate agencies of the General Government, the efforts of the people of those [Southern] States, to obtain for themselves the blessings of honest and capable local government" [6].
The Democratic platform adopted upon Tilden’s nomination reaffirmed the party's “devotion to the Constitution of the United States, with its amendments universally accepted as a final settlement of the controversies that engendered civil war.” While it upheld the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendment, the platform condemned the “rapacity of carpet-bag tyrannies.” On Reconstruction, Democrats resolved that “reform is necessary… by a peaceful civic revolution” [5]. In Hayes’ letter accepting the nomination he took a conciliatory approach to the South, promising to “cherish their truest interests” and work to “wipe out forever the distinction between the North and South in our common country”. He explained, “It will be practicable to promote, by the influence of all legitimate agencies of the General Government, the efforts of the people of those [Southern] States, to obtain for themselves the blessings of honest and capable local government" [6].
[1] Thomas J. Culbertson, “Did Rutherford B. Hayes End Reconstruction?,” Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center, February 17, 2013. [LECTURE]
[2] Sarah Pruitt, “How the 1876 Election Tested the Constitution and Effectively Ended Reconstruction,” History, January 21, 2020, https://www.history.com/news/reconstruction-1876-election-rutherford-hayes.
[3] Thomas J. Culbertson, “Did Rutherford B. Hayes End Reconstruction?”
[4] Ibid.
[5] 1876 Democratic Party Platform, The American Presidency Project, June 22, 1876, https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/1876-democratic-party-platform.
[6] Rutherford B. Hayes to the Committee of the Republican National Convention, July 8, 1876, Hayes accepts the Republican Party’s presidential nomination, Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center, https://www.rbhayes.org/hayes/1876-acceptance-speech/.
[7] James Albert Wales. “The "Strong" government 1869-1877--The "weak" government 1877-1881.” Illustration. Puck, 1880, https://www.loc.gov/resource/ppmsca.15783/.
[8] The Stark County Democrat, (Canton, Ohio), Nov. 5, 1874. [Library of Congress]