Election of 1876: The Great Betrayal

Target: I can explain how the Compromise of 1877 ended Reconstruction by analyzing the deal made to resolve the disputed Election of 1876.

Historical Context

The 1898 Louisiana Constitution eliminated voting rules that had enfranchised Black men during Reconstruction. As a result, in a state with over 650,000 Black residents, the number of Black registered voters dropped from 130,000 before the new constitution to just 5,000 by 1900. By 1904, the number dropped to just 1,000.

Key Vocabulary

• Electoral College: The system used to elect the President. Each state gets votes based on its population.

• Popular Vote: The total number of individual votes cast by citizens.

• Compromise: An agreement where both sides give up something to reach a deal.

• Home Rule: The ability of the South to govern itself without the U.S. Army watching over them.

Part 1: Do Now (5 minutes)

Directions: Read the prompt below and write a 5-8 sentence response.

Prompt: The Stolen Trophy. Imagine two teams play a championship game. Team A scores more points and plays better. However, the Referees refuse to declare a winner because of a "dispute" on the field. The Referees make a deal: They will give the trophy to Team B (who scored fewer points), but only if Team B promises to let Team A make all the rules for the stadium from now on. In a complete paragraph, answer: Is this a fair deal? Why would Team B accept the trophy if it means losing control of the rules? Who really "won" this game?

Sentence Starter: This deal is (fair/unfair) because... Even though Team B got the trophy, Team A really won because... Team B accepted the deal because they cared more about...

Part 2: Analyzing the Sources

Directions: Analyze the two documents below and then answer the questions that follow.

Source 1: Election Results of 1876 (Data Table)

Candidate	Party	Popular Vote	Electoral Vote
Samuel Tilden	Democrat	4,288,546 (50.9%)	184 (One vote short of winning)
Rutherford B. Hayes	Republican	4,034,311 (47.9%)	165 (+ 20 disputed votes)

The Problem: 20 Electoral Votes from three Southern states (FL, LA, SC) were disputed. Both sides claimed they won. To win the presidency, Hayes needed ALL 20 votes.

Source 2: The Terms of the "Compromise of 1877" (Summary)

Original Deal	Simplified Text
"Democrats agreed to let Rutherford B. Hayes (Republican) become President, even though Tilden had more popular votes."	"The Democrats (the South) said: 'Okay, you can have the White House. We will let Hayes be President.'"
"Republicans agreed to withdraw all remaining Federal Troops from the South."	"The Republicans (the North) said: 'In exchange, we will remove all U.S. soldiers from the South. We will stop protecting the rights of African Americans.'"

Analysis Questions

Directions: Answer questions 1-2 on your own.

Then, work with a partner to answer question 3.

1. Look at Source 1. Who actually won the "Popular Vote" (got more votes from the people)? Why didn't he become President automatically?

   
   

   Sentence Starter: The candidate who won the popular vote was... He didn't win automatically because he was one vote short in the...

   
   

2. Look at Source 2. The Republicans got the Presidency. What did the Democrats (the South) get in exchange? Why was this "prize" so valuable to them?

   
   

   Sentence Starter: In exchange for the Presidency, the South got... This was valuable to them because without the soldiers there, they could...

   
   

3. (Work with your partner) This deal is often called "The Great Betrayal." Who was betrayed by this deal? (Hint: Who lost their protection when the troops left?)

   
   

   Sentence Starter: The group that was betrayed by this deal was... They were betrayed because the Republicans promised to protect them, but instead they...

   
   

Part 3: Exit Ticket (5 minutes)

Directions: Answer the following prompt in a complete paragraph (5-8 sentences).

Prompt: Historians often refer to the Compromise of 1877 as "The Great Betrayal." In a detailed paragraph, explain why. Who was betrayed? Explain how a deal that created "peace" between North and South actually created a nightmare for African Americans. Use evidence from Source 2 (The Troops) to support your answer.

Sentence Starter: The Compromise of 1877 was a "Great Betrayal" because... While it solved the problem of... it abandoned... As shown in Source 2, the Republicans agreed to... This meant that African Americans in the South were left without...