Federal troops withdrawn, ending Reconstruction in the Southeastern United States

Background. The 1876 presidential election was close and contested, marked by Black voter suppression in the South. An Electoral Commission resulted in the Compromise of 1877, awarding the election to Republican Rutherford B. Hayes. By the time of this compromise, federal troops had already been withdrawn from most of the South, setting the stage for the final removal.

Troop Withdrawal. After assuming office on March 4, 1877, President Hayes removed troops from the capitals of the remaining Reconstruction states, Louisiana and South Carolina. This action allowed the Redeemers to have full control of these states. The conventional end of Reconstruction is dated to 1877, coinciding with the reduction of the role of federal troops in regional politics.

Historical Periodization. The Reconstruction era is historically dated from the end of the Civil War in 1865 until 1877. While 1877 is the usual date given for the end of Reconstruction, some historians extend the era to the 1890s to include the imposition of segregation. The withdrawal of troops is generally considered the event that ended the era.