Throughout the post reconstruction period, the Democratic party dominated in almost every political aspect and controlled most state and local government decisions. The debt and finances were a huge issue in post reconstruction politics due to the debt reaching close to 17 million dollars by the year 1875. The debt itself consisted of a variety of bonds issued during the Reconstruction period. The simplest way to handle to debt would be to raise taxes, but raising taxes on manufacturing industries would ruin the government’s credit.
2. How did segregation and political enfranchisement shape race relations in the New South?
The Jim Crow