“The plain truth is that the North has got tired…”: The Decline of Reconstruction
By 1870, Radical Congressional Reconstruction had generated a number of successes, including The
Freedmen’s Bureau and ratification of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments. In addition, Southern states rewrote
their constitutions to protect freedmen’s rights. In all southern states black males gained the right to vote, enter
into legal contracts, attend school, and relocate to find jobs. The right to vote led to the election of six hundred
African American state legislators, two Lieutenant Governors, two United States Senators, and fourteen United
States Representatives. Even the KKK was destroyed by the passage of The Enforcement Acts. But by 1870, things
were changing. Several southern states were controlled by governments led by former Confederate military and
political leaders. In addition, black codes tenant farming, the use of convict labor made life difficult for the freed
population. Radical Congressional Reconstruction was declining in influence and we need to develop an
interpretation as to why. Examine the following factors that impacted the decline of Reconstruction, then on the
back, develop two theories to explain why Reconstruction failed. Each theory should contain at least 4 factors and
you must explain how those factors LINKED TOGTHER to end Reconstruction. Be prepared to justify your
decisions in class tomorrow.
Factors Impacting the Decline of Reconstruction
Decisions by the United States Supreme Court: In the Slaughterhouses Cases, the court declared that the 14th
Amendment protected the rights provided by citizenship but civil rights were provided by the states and the court argued that
the 14th Amendment did not apply to the states and therefore states could ignore civil rights if they chose to do so. In United
States v. Cruickshank the court stated that the 14th Amendment did not give the federal government the right to punish whites
that oppressed blacks. These decisions empowered southern states to ignore the Constitutional rights of the freed population.
Industrialization: Numerous inventions such as the light bulb, steam-powered railroads, and assembly line production
made everyday life easier and provided jobs for millions. The desire to take advantage of the booming American economy led
many to divert their attention from Reconstruction. In addition, the costs involved in occupying the South with the military
were an obstacle for many northerners whose support declined dramatically.
Economic Decline: In 1873 and economic panic broke out that inaugurated a six year depression marked by 3 million
people unemployed, 18,000 companies closing for business, the closure of 89 railroads, numerous bankruptcies, and strikes.
Because of the massive depression, money and attention were diverted from the difficult tasks associated with Reconstruction.
Rise of Tenant Farming: Still highly dependent on agriculture for its economic existence, southern land owners hired
workers to work their land. In return the workers, called tenants, had to sell the crops they raised to the land owners. In most
instances the prices they were paid for their crops were not enough to pay off their debts (owned to the land owner who sold
them the farm supplies). Thus the farmers were in perpetual debt. The majority of African Americans were entrapped in this
system of debt and it helped to return power to wealthy land owning whites that supported the Democratic Party and did not
support equality.
Corrupt Administration of President Ulysses S. Grant: Numerous scandals plagued Grant’s administration and made
it difficult for the president to focus on Reconstruction.. Several scandals included the Whiskey Ring Scandal-Government
revenue officials and tax collectors take bribes so those whiskey distillers did not have to pay taxes, and the Credit Mobilier
Scandal-A construction company skimmed off millions of dollars on a government railroad contract. Although a Republican,
Grant was not fully supportive of the efforts of Radical Reconstruction and the scandals diverted his attention from the
challenges presented by Reconstruction.
Redemption and Home Rule: The 1870s witnessed the takeover of state governments in Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia, and
North Carolina. Called “Redeemers,” these Democrats, many of whom were former Confederate leaders, KKK members, and
plantation owners, set out to overturn the efforts of Congressional Reconstruction by removing the federal military presence
from southern states and bringing back what they called “home rule.” Home Rule was a way of describing a return to state
autonomy in decision making and allowing the former planter class to exert more power in political decisions. In many
southern states, because of the collapse of Republican power, race riots erupted. By 1876 every southern state had been
“redeemed” by the Democrats.
Declining Northern Commitment to Reconstruction and equality for Freedmen: With the death or retirement of
many of the Radical Republicans in Congress who were dedicated to providing equality to the Freedmen, there were fewer and
fewer advocates for the radical plan.
Election of 1876/Compromise of 1877: At the conclusion of the 1876 Presidential election, Democratic candidate Samuel
J. Tilden won the popular vote (51%) to (48%) for Republican candidate Rutherford B. Hayes. Also, Tilden had 184 electoral
votes (1 shy of victory) to the 165 (20 shy of victory for Hayes). The remaining 20 electoral votes were in dispute in 4 southern
states. These states submitted two different sets of electoral ballots (one for Tilden and one for Hayes). To resolve the electoral
impasse, the leadership of both political parties negotiated a secret settlement to the disputed election. The resulting
compromise essentially stated that Southern Democrats would acknowledge Hayes as President, but only if the Republicans
removed all Federal troops from the former Confederate States, appointed at least one Southern Democrat to Hayes' cabinet,
constructed another transcontinental railroad using the Texas and Pacific in the South, and passed legislation to help
industrialize the South. Troops were removed and the lack of a federal military presence made it impossible to protect the
freedmen.
Develop two theories to explain why Reconstruction failed. Each theory should contain at least 4 of the
factors from the front of the paper and you must explain how those factors LINKED TOGTHER to end
Reconstruction. Be prepared to justify your decisions in class tomorrow.
Theory One: Reconstruction failed because….
Theory Two: Reconstruction failed because….
Notes from Class Discussion
Complete the following pie graph by deciding the percentage that at least 4 factors played in the decline of
Reconstruction. Be sure to consider:
 What percentage of credit do your 4 factors receive
 Be sure to consider the difference between events occurring within the south and within the North
 Remember, pie graphs add up to 100% 
 Finally, justify (in at least two paragraphs of 5-7 sentences per paragraph) how your factors
combined to bring Reconstruction to an end.. Be specific, give examples, support with details. Be sure to
explain your factors and link them together and to the end of Reconstruction.