United States presidential election, 1876

The 23.Wahl the President of the United States in 1876 was one of the scarcest and most controversial in the history of the United States. The Republican candidate Rutherford B. Hayes won with an electoral vote majority against the Democrats Samuel J. Tilden, even though Tilden got more total votes. The ultimately decided by a political trading options is considered as the endpoint of Reconstruction.

Nominations

Although the incumbent President Ulysses S. Grant sought a third term, but was not supported by the party therein, which is why he announced in 1875, no longer to run. The in June 1876 in Cincinnati, Ohio, held convention of the Republicans could be more than one ballot not agree on the expected candidates, the Speaker of the House James G. Blaine of Maine. This was rejected by the radical wing of the party because he represented no clear opinion on the issue of reconstruction. Therefore, the governor of Ohio, Rutherford B. Hayes, was nominated in the 7th round by 387 to 351 votes to 21. In contrast, sat William A. Wheeler, previously MP for New York, at the nomination of the vice presidential candidates effortlessly.

The Democratic Convention was held by the Republican and took place in St. Louis, Missouri, instead. Promising candidates were the Governor of New York and Bourbon Democrat Samuel J. Tilden, the governor of Indiana Thomas A. Hendricks and former Union General Winfield S. Hancock of Pennsylvania. Tilden prevailed in the second round of voting, Hendricks became his running mate.

Other candidates included:

• Peter Cooper of the greenback party with Samuel F. Cary as a running mate;
• Green C. Smith with Gideon T. Stewart of the Prohibition Party;
• James A. Walker with Donald Kirkpatrick of the American National Party.

Electioneering

The election campaign of the Democrats focused on the emergent of the previous administration corruption scandals, while Republicans continue to put the successful rescue and unification of the nation, which celebrated its 100th independence this year in the center and the Democrats treacherous intentions accused.

Choice

The election took place on 7 November 1876. In many countries, the output was very close, the difference in the proportion of votes in about a dozen states amounted to three percent or less. On election night, and next morning many newspapers Tilden declared the winner. This had the swing states of Connecticut, New Jersey and Indiana as well as his home state of New York won and was considered a sure winner in the South.

On November 8, the results from most of the states were known, then Tilden received 184 electoral votes against 165 for Hayes, with 185 votes were needed for victory. The remaining 20 votes were in the three southern states of Florida ( 4) Louisiana ( 8) and South Carolina ( 7) and to forgive in Oregon (1). The three southern states were claimed by both sides for themselves while, but not standing in Oregon, only the approval of the electors, the result in question.

Dispute

Both sides accused each other of vote-rigging. The Republicans accused the Democrats to have deterred by the formation of paramilitary units and intimidation supporter of Republicans from the election. At the same time, the Democrats accused the Republicans who controlled the counting of votes in the three States in question, the embezzlement of democratic votes.

Since the Constitution of the United States a clear vote calls until the planned date of the inauguration, was urgently looking for a solution. By a law of 29 January 1877 15-member Electoral Commission of five members each from the Senate, House and Supreme Court was formed. This should be three members of the majority and minority members of the two factions of the Senate and House of Representatives, and two representatives of each party belong to the Supreme Court. Since the Senate was dominated by the Republicans and the House by the Democrats, both sides were equally represented by then. The four members of the Supreme Court should then jointly determine the 15th and final member of the Commission, which should be non-partisan. Their first candidate was David Davis, but this was chosen before the date of that decision by Illinois in the U.S. Senate and was no longer available for the post. Since all remaining justices were Republicans, the outcome was predetermined, with Joseph P. Bradley was a Republican the 15th member of the Commission.

While these decisions was sought behind the scenes for a compromise, which was known as the Compromise of 1877. Accordingly, the Democrats of the appointment of Hayes should add to the President and receive the following concessions in exchange:

• Deduction of the remaining federal troops from the former states of the Confederacy (which concerned only the states of Louisiana, South Carolina and Florida, which were the controversial States in the election at a time)
• Appointment of a Süddemokraten in the government Hayes
• Construction of another transcontinental railroad through the southern states
• Support the industrialization of the South by federal law

Only the first two commitments were later actually redeemed. In the following years numerous Southern built a systematic segregation and deprived many blacks by various provisions of the them guaranteed by the 15th Amendment right to vote (including through the Jim Crow laws ), so that this compromise by the blacks regarded as a betrayal by the Republican been.

The Election Commission decided on March 2, finally, that Hayes the three southern states (and thus the total electorate ) have won (where the respective party members voted for their respective candidates). On March 5, Hayes was sworn in as the new president.

Result

* At 100 % percent: invalid votes / other candidates