The Election of 1876 was one of the most disputed and consequential elections in American history. In the nation’s centennial year, Republican Rutherford B. Hayes faced Democrat Samuel J. Tilden in a contest that would end Reconstruction and shape race relations in the United States for nearly a century.
A Struggling Nation Under Grant
President Ulysses S. Grant’s second term had been mired in crisis. The Panic of 1873 unleashed a severe economic depression, leaving millions unemployed and souring public opinion.
Grant’s administration was also plagued by scandal, from the Whiskey Ring to the fallout of the Credit Mobilier affair. Meanwhile, racial violence continued in the South, with atrocities like the Colfax Massacre of 1873, where dozens of African Americans were killed, underscoring the fragility of Reconstruction.
Though Grant briefly considered seeking a third term, corruption and political exhaustion forced the Republicans to turn to new leadership.
Hayes for President
The Republican nomination initially favoured Senator James G. Blaine of Maine, but concerns about his links to corruption eroded his support. Instead, delegates rallied around Rutherford B. Hayes, the reform-minded governor of Ohio. A Civil War veteran with a reputation for integrity, Hayes was seen as the perfect antidote to “Grantism.”
Hayes’ running mate was William Wheeler, a respected New York congressman admired for his honesty and opposition to corruption. The GOP platform called for continuing Reconstruction, protecting African American rights, and cleaning up government.
Tilden for President
The Democrats nominated Samuel J. Tilden, governor of New York, on the first ballot. Like Hayes, Tilden was a reformer, earning national fame for dismantling the corrupt Tammany Hall machine led by “Boss” Tweed.
Tilden’s running mate was Thomas Hendricks, governor of Indiana. The Democratic platform promised an end to Reconstruction, reductions in federal power, civil service reform, and economic recovery.
For the first time since before the Civil War, Democrats entered a presidential election confident they could reclaim the White House.
The Greenback Party
Economic distress after the Panic of 1873 gave rise to the Greenback Party, which advocated for paper currency not backed by gold. Their candidate, Peter Cooper, an inventor and philanthropist, made history as the oldest presidential candidate ever, running at age 85. Though the Greenbacks drew little support in 1876, they foreshadowed later populist movements.
Intimidation and Shady Tactics
The campaign was marked by fraud, intimidation, and violence.
- Republicans relied on “Waving the Bloody Shirt,” reminding voters of Democratic complicity in the Civil War and portraying themselves as the party of Union and emancipation.
- Democrats focused on suppressing the African American vote in the South through intimidation, violence, and fraud. Armed groups like the Red Shirts and the White League terrorised Black communities.
The “Mississippi Plan” was notorious: Democrats disrupted Republican rallies, threatened African American voters, and used images of Lincoln on ballots to trick illiterate freedmen into voting Democratic.
Disputed Votes and Electoral Commission
On election night, Samuel J. Tilden appeared victorious with 184 undisputed electoral votes — just one short of the 185 needed to win. Hayes trailed with 165. But 20 votes from Florida, Louisiana, South Carolina, and Oregon were contested amid allegations of fraud and intimidation.
To resolve the deadlock, Congress created a special Electoral Commission of 15 members: seven Democrats, seven Republicans, and one independent justice. When Justice David Davis withdrew after being elected to the Senate, Republican Justice Joseph Bradley replaced him, tipping the balance.
In an 8–7 party-line vote, the commission awarded all 20 disputed votes to Hayes.
The Compromise of 1877
Democrats threatened to filibuster the certification of Hayes’ victory and even raised the prospect of renewed civil war. To avert chaos, leaders struck a secret deal known as the Compromise of 1877.
In exchange for conceding the presidency to Hayes, Republicans agreed to withdraw federal troops from the South, effectively ending Reconstruction. This ushered in the era of Jim Crow laws, disenfranchising African Americans and institutionalising segregation for decades.
Results of the Election of 1876
- Rutherford B. Hayes (Republican) – 185 electoral votes; 47.9% of the popular vote
- Samuel J. Tilden (Democrat) – 184 electoral votes; 50.9% of the popular vote
- Peter Cooper (Greenback) – 0 electoral votes; 1% of the popular vote
Hayes became the 19th president despite losing the popular vote, in what remains the closest electoral margin in U.S. history.
Legacy
The Election of 1876 was more than a disputed presidency — it marked the effective end of Reconstruction. Federal protection for African Americans vanished, paving the way for nearly a century of segregation and voter suppression in the South.
It followed the Election of 1872, when Grant secured a second term despite scandal, and it set the stage for the Election of 1880, when Hayes, having pledged to serve only one term, stepped aside for new leadership.