Compromise of 1877
CElaine Church
History 151
Midterm #1
The Compromise of 1877
The Compromise of 1877 marked the dawn of a new era in American History. Most events after the compromise, decades down the road, are direct results of the compromise. Specifically blacks were most affected by this. Rights they were promised when they fought with the north in the civil war were gone. The rights were not taken away per say, but simply not enforced. The compromise that most likely saved the nation from breaking back into civil war had a snowball effect on the lives of everybody after it was made. Reconstruction was imperative in the history of the United States. Right after the civil war, the nation and its former enemy were now at peace and ready to become one again. It allowed the south to rejoin the nation under certain stipulations. As an alternative the south rejoined but adopted things like the black codes to continue persecuting the former slaves. Angering the north the south was put under military rule to enforce said stipulations agreed upon to rejoin the nation. While the north industrialized and prospered the south clung on to agriculture and slavery with all their might. Tensions were running high once again and the United States was on the brink of war all over again. The Compromise of 1877 prevented a war run nation from erupting back into battle. Essentially both the north and the south got some things they wanted and some they didn’t; the definition of a compromise. Troops were removed from the south, Hayes was elected pending a democratic member in his cabinet, a second transcontinental railroad in the south, and legislation made to help industrialize the south. This seemed fair to everybody…except the blacks. In 1877 the critical compromise made to save the peace of the fragilely rejoined nation was a huge betrayal to the former slaves, black men and women, of the south. The blacks fought for the north, for their freedom, and then once they succeeded the
History 151
Midterm #1
The Compromise of 1877
The Compromise of 1877 marked the dawn of a new era in American History. Most events after the compromise, decades down the road, are direct results of the compromise. Specifically blacks were most affected by this. Rights they were promised when they fought with the north in the civil war were gone. The rights were not taken away per say, but simply not enforced. The compromise that most likely saved the nation from breaking back into civil war had a snowball effect on the lives of everybody after it was made. Reconstruction was imperative in the history of the United States. Right after the civil war, the nation and its former enemy were now at peace and ready to become one again. It allowed the south to rejoin the nation under certain stipulations. As an alternative the south rejoined but adopted things like the black codes to continue persecuting the former slaves. Angering the north the south was put under military rule to enforce said stipulations agreed upon to rejoin the nation. While the north industrialized and prospered the south clung on to agriculture and slavery with all their might. Tensions were running high once again and the United States was on the brink of war all over again. The Compromise of 1877 prevented a war run nation from erupting back into battle. Essentially both the north and the south got some things they wanted and some they didn’t; the definition of a compromise. Troops were removed from the south, Hayes was elected pending a democratic member in his cabinet, a second transcontinental railroad in the south, and legislation made to help industrialize the south. This seemed fair to everybody…except the blacks. In 1877 the critical compromise made to save the peace of the fragilely rejoined nation was a huge betrayal to the former slaves, black men and women, of the south. The blacks fought for the north, for their freedom, and then once they succeeded the
Bibliography: “Miss Ida B. Wells, The New York Public Library, 1892.” In America: A Concise History, by James A. Henretta and David Brody (Boston, New York: Bedford/ St. Martin’s, 2010), 570, image 1. “Patriotic Protestant Nativism, Picture Research Consultants & Archives, 1920.” in America: A Concise History, by James A. Henretta and David Brody (Boston, New York: Bedford/ St. Martin’s, 2010), 685, image 1. “The March on Washington, Bob Adelman/ Magnum Photos, 1963.” in America: A Concise History, by James A. Henretta and David Brody (Boston, New York: Bedford/ St. Martin’s, 2010), 828,image1. “The Shores Family, Custer County, Nebraska, 1877, Nebraska State Historical Society.” In America: A Concise History, by James A. Henretta and David Brody (Boston, New York: Bedford/ St. Martin’s, 2010), 475, image 1.