Election of 1876: Testing the Constitution

In the 1876 US presidential election, Democratic candidate Samuel J. Tilden was confident of victory, but the results were disputed. The nation, still recovering from the Civil War, faced a political crisis. The Republican Party, marred by scandals, nominated Rutherford B. Hayes. Tilden led in the popular vote, but unresolved results in three Southern states led to tensions. Congress formed a commission, resulting in the Compromise of 1877, declaring Hayes the winner. Both parties made promises, but neither upheld them, leading to the enactment of Jim Crow laws. The compromise temporarily held the nation together but had long-term negative consequences.

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