The "Compromise of 1877" regarding the election dispute between Hayes and Tilden is BEST characterized by which of these facts?
A) Hayes was accepted as President and he appointed a Democrat to be his Vice-president. B) The Democrats accepted Hayes in exchange for being able to appoint the next Supreme Court Justice. C) The compromise failed and in a bitterly fought battle the House of Representatives elected Hayes as President. D) Southern Democrats wanted federal troops withdrawn from the South and voting rights of the freedmen decided by state governments.
Answer: D) Southern Democrats wanted federal troops withdrawn from the South and voting rights of the freedmen decided by state governments.
Explanation: In return for their acceptance of Hayes as President, Southern Democrats wanted federal troops withdrawn from the South and voting rights of the freedmen decided by state governments. Tilden most likely won the race, but, because of the South's desire to have Reconstruction end, they were willing to exchange a Presidential victory for the end of "federal occupation" of their land.
<span>The correct answer is D. Southern democrats accepted the election of a Republican president, Hayes, in exchange for the removal of federal troops from Southern states, and the ability to determine the voting rights of freedmen without interference from the North. It effectively ended the reconstruction period and set the southern states on a path to greater industrialization, something that was necessary to restore their economies after the loss of slave labor.</span>
