During Reconstruction, Southern whites regained political power through various means, including the establishment of "Black Codes" that restricted the rights of freed African Americans and the use of violence and intimidation by groups like the Ku Klux Klan. The withdrawal of federal troops in 1877, following the Compromise of 1877, effectively ended federal enforcement of Reconstruction policies, allowing Southern Democrats to regain control of state governments. Additionally, discriminatory practices such as literacy tests and poll taxes disenfranchised many Black voters, further consolidating white political power in the South.
The scalawags(or Southern Republicans who supported the North) gained political office during Reconstruction and also, so did the Carpetbaggers(Noerthern Republicans who moved to the South and got elected to public office).
After Reconstruction, southern society experienced economic struggles, political upheaval, and social tensions. African Americans gained some rights and representation but faced systemic discrimination and violence. The Southern elite sought to regain power and control through tactics like sharecropping and Jim Crow laws.
Both the Knights of the White Camellia and the Redeemers were secret societies in the southern United States during the Reconstruction era. They were associated with white supremacist beliefs and used violence and intimidation to oppose Reconstruction policies and assert white supremacy in the South.
Democrats leveraged the issue of corruption to regain power in the South by highlighting scandals and misconduct associated with Republican leaders during Reconstruction. They framed themselves as the party of honesty and integrity, appealing to voters' desire for stable governance. By capitalizing on public disillusionment with corruption, Democrats successfully rallied support among white voters, portraying themselves as protectors of Southern values and interests. This strategy ultimately contributed to their resurgence in Southern political dominance.
As the Reconstruction era passed, Southern whites became back in control of the old South. They passed all types of "laws" designed to prevent Blacks form voting. This enabled whites to regain the political power they lost right after the US Civil War.
The Amnesty Act of 1872 restored voting rights and political eligibility to most former Confederates in the South. This led to the reintegration of former Confederates into Southern politics and allowed them to regain political influence. As a result, Democrats, who largely represented white Southerners, gained power in the region, leading to the end of Reconstruction and the establishment of white supremacy in Southern politics.
During the Reconstruction period, the U.S. government offered a general pardon to most Southerners through President Andrew Johnson's Reconstruction policies. This pardon allowed former Confederates to regain their citizenship and property rights, excluding high-ranking officials and those with significant wealth. The intent was to facilitate reconciliation and restore the Southern states to the Union, although it ultimately led to significant political tensions and challenges in rebuilding the South.
In the 1870s, the term "redemption" for white Southerners referred to the political and social effort to restore white supremacy and regain control over Southern states following Reconstruction. It symbolized the desire to overturn the advances made by African Americans and their allies during this period, often resulting in the establishment of discriminatory laws and practices. This movement sought to redeem the South from what they perceived as the failures of Reconstruction and to reassert traditional social hierarchies.
Democrats
Reconstruction came to an end in 1877 primarily due to the Compromise of 1877, which resolved the contested 1876 presidential election. In exchange for conceding the presidency to Rutherford B. Hayes, Republicans agreed to withdraw federal troops from the South, effectively ending military oversight of Reconstruction efforts. This withdrawal allowed Southern Democrats to regain control, leading to the implementation of Jim Crow laws and the disenfranchisement of African Americans. The combination of political compromise and growing fatigue with Reconstruction efforts ultimately marked its conclusion.
The states in the South had to ratify the Thirteenth Amendment.
What law allowed southerms to regain political control of the south