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The End of
Section
Reconstruction
Page 442
4
The End of Reconstruction
READING FOCUS
KEY TERMS
TARGET READING SKILL
• What tactics did the Ku Klux Klan use to
spread terror throughout the South?
Enforcement Act of 1870
solid South
Compromise of 1877
Identify Supporting Details Copy the web
diagram below. As you read, fill in supporting details for each heading.
• Why did Reconstruction end?
SECTION OBJECTIVES
• What were the major successes and failures of Reconstruction?
The End of
Reconstruction
MAIN IDEA
1. Learn about tactics used by the Ku
Klux Klan to spread terror throughout the South.
2. Find out why Reconstruction ended.
3. Review the major successes and
failures of Reconstruction.
BELLRINGER
Warm-Up Activity Ask students if
they know of any hate groups that are
active today. What do they think motivates these groups?
Members of the Ku Klux Klan (pictured below) left miniature coffins
like this, containing written death
threats, at the doors of many freedmen and their white supporters.
Activating Prior Knowledge Ask
students to state a reason why the Ku
Klux Klan was formed and what the
group intended to accomplish.
TARGET READING SKILL
Ask students to complete the graphic
organizer on this page as they read the
section. See the Section Reading
Support Transparencies for a completed version of this graphic organizer.
Spreading Terror
During Radical Reconstruction, the Klan sought to eliminate
the Republican Party in the South by intimidating Republican
voters, both white and black. The Klan’s long-term goal was to keep
African Americans in the role of submissive laborers.
Connecting with
Government
442 • Chapter 12 Section 4
Successes
Setting the Scene In 1866, six former Confederate soldiers living in
Pulaski, Tennessee, decided to form a secret society. Someone suggested they
name their group “Kuklos” (the Greek word for “circle”), and they voted to
modify that to “Ku Klux Klan” (KKK). Members wore robes and masks and
pretended to be the ghosts of Confederate soldiers, returned from the dead in
search of revenge against the enemies of the South.
The Klan spread rapidly through the South, fueled by a blend of rage
and fear over the Confederacy’s defeat and toward the newly won freedom
of black southerners. Klansmen pledged to “defend the social and political
superiority” of whites against what they called the “aggressions of an inferior race.” The membership consisted largely of ex-Confederate officials
and plantation owners who had been excluded from politics. The group
also attracted merchants, lawyers, and other professionals. While the Klan
was supposed to be a secret society, most members’ identities were well
known in their communities.
In 1867, at a convention in Nashville, Tennessee, the Klan chose its
first overall leader, or “grand wizard,” Nathan Bedford Forrest. Before the
war, Forrest had grown wealthy as a cotton planter and slave trader.
During the war, he had become known as one of the Confederacy’s most
brilliant generals. He also had commanded the troops who captured Fort
Pillow, Tennessee, in 1864, and then massacred more than 300 black
Union soldiers as well as a number of black women and children.
As Reconstruction proceeded, Klan violence intensified.
Arkansas Klansmen killed more than 300 Republicans,
including a United States congressman, in 1868 alone.
That year Klansmen murdered 1,000 people in
Louisiana. Fully half of the adult white male population
of New Orleans belonged to the KKK.
ACTIVITY
The Enforcement Act of 1870 was one
of many laws passed to protect civil
rights. Have student groups trace the
historical development of the civil rights
movement in the late 1800s. Have student groups research similar acts (such
as the Enforcement Acts of February 28,
1871, and April 20, 1871, the Civil Rights
Acts of 1875, 1957, 1960, 1964, 1968, and
1991, and the Voting Rights Act of 1965).
Have groups report on the intent and
the rights protected by each of these
laws. Then, hold a classroom discussion on why so many laws needed to
be enacted. (Verbal/Linguistic)
Failures
Reasons
In the 1870s, white Democrats regained power in the South,
and white Republican interest in Reconstruction declined.
442
Chapter 12 • Reconstruction
RESOURCE DIRECTORY
Teaching Resources
Guided Reading and Review booklet, p. 53
Other Print Resources
American History Block Scheduling
Support The Reformers: A Struggle for
Women’s Rights, found in the Prosperity,
Depression, and War folder, includes interdisciplinary lesson suggestions and activities for
Geography and History, Primary Sources,
Biography, and Literature.
Technology
Section Reading Support Transparencies
Guided Reading Audiotapes (English/Spanish),
Ch. 12
Student Edition on Audio CD, Ch. 12
Prentice Hall Presentation Pro CD-ROM, Ch. 12
Visual Learning Activity
America’s Birthday Party, found on
TeacherExpress™, shows a list published in
1876 in the children’s magazine St. Nicholas,
citing major events in the first hundred years
of the American republic.
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INTERPRETING GRAPHS
In many ways, Reconstruction was
an unfinished revolution for African
Americans. Corruption, violence,
the return of Democratic rule in the
South, and a faltering economy all
contributed to a reversal of the civil
and political gains made by African
Americans during Reconstruction.
Analyzing Information How long
did it take for African Americans to
regain the same level of representation in the United States Congress they had held during
Reconstruction?
African Americans Elected to the U.S. Congress
40
Number elected
35
30
25
20
15
1860s
Reconstruction
begins.
1900s–1940s Jim Crow
laws prevent African
Americans from voting.
1950s–1960s
Civil Rights
movement begins.
1870s
Reconstruction
ends.
10
5
0
1860s 1870s 1880s 1890s 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s
Decade
SOURCE: Congressional Black Caucus
The Klan’s terror tactics varied from place to place. Often, horsemen in
long robes and hoods appeared suddenly at night, carrying guns and whips.
They encircled the homes of their victims, and planted huge burning crosses in
their yards. People were dragged from their homes and harassed, tortured, kidnapped, or murdered.
Anyone who didn’t share the Klan’s goals and hatreds could be a victim:
carpetbaggers, scalawags, freedmen who had become prosperous—even those
who had merely learned to read. With chilling frequency, black women went to
claim the dead bodies of their husbands and sons.
The Federal Response The violence kindled northern outrage. At
President Grant’s request, Congress passed a series of anti-Klan laws in
1870 and 1871. The Enforcement Act of 1870 banned the use of
terror, force, or bribery to prevent people from voting because of their
race. Other laws banned the KKK entirely and strengthened military
protection of voters and voting places.
Using troops, cavalry, and the power of the courts, the government
arrested and tried thousands of Klansmen. Within a year the KKK was
virtually wiped out. Still, the thinly spread federal army could not be
everywhere at once. As federal troops gradually withdrew from the
South, black suffrage all but ended.
Reconstruction Ends
President Grant, who won reelection in 1872, continued to pursue the
goals of Reconstruction, sometimes with energy. However, the widespread corruption in his administration reminded voters of all that was
wrong with Reconstruction.
A Dying Issue By the mid-1870s, white voters had grown weary of
Republicans and their decade-long concern with Reconstruction. There
were four main factors contributing to the end of Reconstruction:
Corruption Reconstruction legislatures, as well as Grant’s administration, came to symbolize corruption, greed, and poor government.
The economy Reconstruction legislatures taxed and spent heavily, putting southern states deeper into debt. In addition, a nationwide economic
LESSON PLAN
Focus While southerners were fighting
Reconstruction, the public began to lose
interest in the program. Ask why public
support for Reconstruction waned.
Instruct Discuss the southern backlash against Reconstruction. Ask students why they think it took a violent
turn. Why was an organization like the
Ku Klux Klan so effective even though
the law was on the side of African
Americans?
Analyze with students the Republicans’ retreat from Reconstruction. Why
did they abandon their dream of social
justice and equality for all? Ask students if they think Reconstruction was
a success or a failure, and why.
Assess/Reteach The Radical
Republicans’ dream of social equality
and justice was abandoned in 1877.
Ask student groups to write a slogan
for a modern bumper sticker reflecting
the feelings of betrayal African
Americans might have felt at this time.
Alaska, the Midway Islands, and
Mexico For the most part, Americans
focused on rebuilding the nation
during Reconstruction. Secretary of
State William H. Seward, however,
took a number of actions to expand
the country’s resources and trade. In
1867, Seward convinced the Senate
to ratify his purchase of Alaska from
Russia for $7.2 million. His opponents
referred to Seward’s purchase of
Alaska’s “walrus-covered icebergs” as
“Seward’s Folly.” In an effort to
expand trade with China, in 1867
Seward also annexed the Midway
Islands, where coal-powered naval
steamships could stop for refueling
and repair on their voyages across the
Pacific. Closer to home, Seward sent
50,000 American troops, who were
already in Texas at the end of the Civil
War, to the Mexican border to force the
French to withdraw their troops from
Mexico.
Chapter 12 • Section 4
443
From the Archives of
®
Ku Klux Klan
In May 1867 the ex-Confederate
general and guerrilla leader Nathan
Bedford Forrest took his place as
the first Grand Wizard in the recently
formed Ku Klux Klan in Pulaski, Tennessee. As the 1868 elections approached, violence against former
slaves hoping to vote became general throughout Tennessee. By the
next spring, Grand Wizard Forrest
oversaw an empire with toeholds in
fourteen southern states. The Klan
led riots against black suffragists in
Mississippi, burned schools and
whipped or lynched northern schoolteachers, and intimidated former
slaves. Testifying before Congress
in 1871, Forrest explained, “this organization was got up to protect the
weak, with no political intention at
all. . . .” Source: Nathan Ward,
“The Time Machine,” American
Heritage ® magazine, May/June 1992.
CAPTION ANSWERS
Interpreting Graphs 100 years.
Chapter 12 Section 4 •
443
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ACTIVITY
Connecting with Today
The outcome of the 1877 election was
the result of a compromise between
Democrats and Republicans. Democrats
conceded victory to Hayes over Tilden
in exchange for certain promises to roll
back the effects of Reconstruction.
In recent years, the results of another
presidential election were hotly contested: the 2000 race between George
W. Bush and Albert Gore. Have students
research both postelection controversies and create a compare-and-contrast
chart. Topics on the chart could include:
percentage of popular vote received by
both candidates; number of electoral
votes under dispute; states with contested electoral votes; and how each
contested election was resolved.
(Logical/Mathematical)
From the Archives of
Page 444
M A P S K I L L S In the tarnished
election of 1876, the electoral
votes in three states under federal
control were disputed, but went to
Hayes when he promised to end
Reconstruction. Location In which
states were election results
disputed?
Wash
Terr. .
OR
Montana
Terr.
Idaho
Terr.
NV
Wyoming
Terr.
Utah
Terr.
CA
Arizona
Terr.
1.0
CO
N ew
Mexico
Terr.
NH
VT
Dakota
Terr.
ME
MN
WI
PA
IA
NE
IL
KS
MO
Indian
Terr.
OH
IN
MA
NY
MI
KY
WV VA
CT
NJ
DE
MD
NC
TN
SC
AR
MS
AL
GA
49.9 50.1
% Electoral
Vote
TX
51.0 48.0
FL
Territories
% Popular
Vote
Candidate/Party
Electoral Vote Popular Vote
Rutherford B. Hayes (Republican)
185
4,034,311
Samuel J. Tilden (Democrat)
184
4,288,546
Peter Cooper (Greenback)
75,973
States with disputed results
downturn in 1873 diverted public attention from the movement for equal
rights. In fact, white northern voters had never fully supported the Radical
Republicans’ goal of racial equality.
Violence As federal troops withdrew from the South, some white Democrats
were freer to use violence and intimidation to prevent freedmen from voting.
This allowed white southerners to regain control of state governments.
The Democrats return to power The era of Republican control of the South was
coming to a close. In 1872, all but about 500 ex-Confederates had been pardoned. They combined with other white southerners to form a new bloc of
Democratic voters known as the solid South. Democrats of the solid South
blocked many federal Reconstruction policies and reversed many reforms of the
Reconstruction legislatures.
Supreme Court Limits Scope of Amendments
The Supreme Court also
played a role in bringing about the end of Reconstruction. In a series of cases,
including the Slaughterhouse Cases in 1873, United States v. Reese in 1876, and
United States v. Cruikshank in 1876, the Supreme Court narrowly interpreted
the Fourteenth and Fifteenth amendments and placed the control of Americans’
basic civil rights in the hands of the states. In short, the Court’s decisions in
these cases limited the federal government’s ability to protect the civil and
voting rights of African Americans.
READING CHECK
What factors contributed to the
end of Reconstruction?
444
The Compromise of 1877 Reconstruction politics took a final, sour turn in
the presidential election of 1876. In that election, Republican Rutherford B.
Hayes lost the popular vote to Democrat Samuel Tilden, who had the support
of the solid South. The electoral vote, however, was disputed. The map above
shows the results.
Hayes claimed victory based partly on wins in Florida, Louisiana, and South
Carolina. Those states were still under Republican and federal control. Democrats submitted another set of tallies showing Tilden as the winner in those
Chapter 12 • Reconstruction
READING CHECK
The heavy taxes and corrupt public
officials involved in Reconstruction
were unpopular. The violence of
the Ku Klux Klan was unsettling.
President Rutherford B. Hayes
ended the military occupation of
southern states in the compromise
settlement of the disputed presidential election of 1876.
CAPTION ANSWERS
Map Skills Louisiana, Florida, South
Carolina, and Oregon.
444 • Chapter 12 Section 4
RI
LA
®
About the Presidents
Ulysses Simpson Grant (1869–1877)
had trouble distinguishing between
talent and friendship. Appointees and
associates were implicated in one
scam after another. Gold speculators
wined and dined the President and
then tried to use their influence to
corner the gold market. The notorious
“Whisky Ring,” a network of IRS officers and whiskey distillers, reduced
taxes on whiskey and pocketed the
unreported revenue. The Treasury
Department was also tied to this
scandal. Grant himself was criticized
for accepting costly gifts and favors.
Source: Wilson Sullivan, “Ulysses
S. Grant,” The American Heritage ®
Pictorial History of the Presidents of
the United States, vol. 1, 1968.
Presidential Election of 1876
RESOURCE DIRECTORY
Teaching Resources
Units 3/4 booklet
• Section 4 Quiz, p. 67
• Chapter 12 Test, pp. 68, 71
Guide to the Essentials
• Section 4 Summary, p. 66
• Chapter 12 Test, p. 67
Other Print Resources
Chapter Tests with ExamView® Test Bank
CD-ROM, Ch. 12
Historical Outline Map Book Election of 1876,
p. 54
Technology
Color Transparencies Political Cartoons, B5
ExamView® Test Bank CD-ROM, Ch. 12
Social Studies Skills Tutor CD-ROM
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I N T E R P R E T I N G TA B L E S
Until recently, many historians
believed that Reconstruction was a
dismal failure. Today most historians argue that the truth is more
complex. The cartoon below shows
President Hayes “plowing under”
Reconstruction programs. Drawing
Conclusions Do you think Reconstruction was more of a success or
a failure? Why?
Successes and Failures of Reconstruction
Successes
Failures
Union is restored.
Many white southerners remain bitter
toward the federal government and the
Republican Party.
The South’s economy grows and new
wealth is created in the North.
The South is slow to industrialize.
Fourteenth and Fifteenth amendments
guarantee African Americans the rights of
citizenship, equal protection under the law,
and suffrage.
After federal troops are withdrawn,
southern state governments and
terrorist organizations effectively deny
African Americans the right to vote.
Freedmen’s Bureau and other organizations
help many black families obtain housing,
jobs, and schooling.
Many black and white southerners
remain caught in a cycle of poverty.
Southern states adopt a system of
mandatory education.
Racist attitudes toward African
Americans continue, in both the South
and the North.
states, and thus in the presidential race. (The eligibility of one Republican elector from Oregon was also called into question.) Congress set up
a special commission to resolve the election crisis. Not surprisingly, the
commission, which included more Republicans than Democrats, named
Hayes the victor. However, Democrats had enough strength in Congress
to reject the commission’s decision.
Finally the two parties made a deal. In what became known as the
Compromise of 1877, the Democrats agreed to give Hayes the victory in the
presidential election he had not clearly won. In return, the new President
agreed to remove the remaining federal troops from southern states. He also
agreed to support appropriations for rebuilding levees along the Mississippi
River, and to give huge subsidies to southern railroads. The compromise
opened the way for Democrats to regain control of southern politics and
marked the end of Reconstruction.
4
READING
COMPREHENSION
1. Why did Congress pass the
Enforcement Act of 1870?
2. What four factors contributed to the
end of Reconstruction?
3. What was the solid South?
4. What was the Compromise of
1877? Why do you think the two
parties made this compromise?
6. Writing an Opinion What was the
most significant success of Reconstruction? What was the most significant failure? Write an outline for
an essay in which you state your
opinions.
Ulysses S. Grant was a very popular leader in
wartime, but an unpopular President. Have students make two lists about Grant. In one, have
them list actions by Grant that made him popular.
In the other, have them list actions taken by
Grant that made him unpopular.
Assessment
Reading Comprehension
1. It banned the use of terror, force, or
bribery as methods of preventing people from voting on the basis of race.
2. Corruption, the economy, violence,
and the Democratic return to power
in the South.
3. A new bloc of Democratic voters who
blocked many federal Reconstruction
policies and reversed many reforms
of the Reconstruction legislatures.
4. The disputed results of the election of
1876 led to the Compromise of 1877 in
which Democrats agreed to give
Hayes the victory in the presidential
election. In return, Hayes agreed to
remove the remaining federal troops
from southern states, and to give
huge subsidies to southern railroads.
Tilden and the Democrats made this
compromise to open the way for
Democrats to regain control of southern politics and end Reconstruction.
PHSchool.com
For: An activity on the Election
of 1876
Visit: PHSchool.com
Web Code: mrd-4124
Chapter 12 • Section 4
CUSTOMIZE FOR …
Less Proficient Readers
4
Critical Thinking and Writing
5. Students who agree might point to
the long interval between the end of
the war and the attainment of true
civil rights by African Americans in
the South.
6. Successes: rebuilt Union; stimulated
economy; amendments passed; education in South; jobs and housing for
freedmen; failures: corruption, poverty,
and debt remained; freedmen prevented from voting; concerns of
farmers and women not met.
Assessment
CRITICAL THINKING
AND WRITING
5. Drawing Conclusions Do you agree
with historian Samuel Eliot Morison,
who said that “the North may have
won the war, but the white South
won the peace”?
Section
445
TEST PREPARATION
Have students read the section on the previous
page called “The Democrats return to power,”
and then answer the question below.
What is the meaning of the phrase “solid South”?
A It refers to a group of southern states that
supported Reconstruction.
B It refers to a bloc of voters that opposed
Reconstruction.
C It refers to a group of southern states that
resisted rejoining the Union.
D This phrase refers to the heavy, claylike soil
of many southern states.
PHSchool.com
Typing the Web Code when prompted
will bring students directly to detailed
instructions for this activity.
CAPTION ANSWERS
Interpreting Tables Answers will vary.
Successes: the election of many
African Americans to public office;
African Americans were given rights
they had never held under slavery.
Failures: many white people ignored
the rights newly granted to African
Americans; many southern localities
established “black codes,” which
returned African Americans to a
position of near-slavery.
Chapter 12 Section 4 •
445