A thread about the 1876 election, Hayes v. Tilden, in light of the refusal to commit to a peaceful transference of power. It was the most contested U.S. presidential election until Bush v. Gore, and at the time—at least in a relative context— Republicans were the good guys. 1/n

The Ulysses S. Grant administration, in spite of scandals, and made progress on civil rights, and had placed federal troops in former Confederate southern states to enforce those rights, including voting rights. 2/n

After chaotic nominating process, Rutherford B. Hayes from Ohio became the Republican candidate to face the Democrat Samuel Tilden from New York. The Democrats are still mostly aligned with former Confederates - white southerners are mostly Democrats. 3/n

There are threats of violence if Tilden loses. There are better books about the election, and about 1876, but in Dee Brown's 'The Year of the Century' he does find newspaper reports from the time about these threats. 4/n

From Brown's book: "Impatient with Tilden’s lack of aggression, some hotheaded Democrats began talking of recruiting regiments “to preserve our liberty by the sword,” to fight if necessary to drive the Republicans from office... 5/n

"On November 19, Washington was excited by reports of a mysterious ex-Confederate officer who had boasted that he could seize the capital with 1,000 men. That the party in power took notice of this danger...6/n

"was indicated by the arrival on the following day of several companies of artillery....Newspapers also reported that army engineers were inspecting the abandoned Civil War forts and preparing defences for bridges and other approaches to the capital...7/n

"When asked the meaning of this military activity, General Sherman replied that it was mainly precautionary. “We must protect the public property, you know, and we must guard the arsenals, particularly the arsenals... 8/n

"...Two days later the man-of-war Wyoming appeared suddenly in the Potomac off the Navy Yard, taking a position where its guns could protect the Anacostia bridge from Maryland and Long Bridge from Virginia. 9/n

"During these warlike preparations, the Democrats announced their Washington ratification meeting for Tilden and Hendricks scheduled for November 29 would proceed as planned, and that the celebration would conclude with a torchlight victory parade on Pennsylvania Avenue. 10/n

"In the charged atmosphere of Washington, it was obvious that any sort of partisan demonstration could become dangerous to all concerned; two days later, without explanation Democratic leaders postponed the ceremonies indefinitely... 11/n

"Tilden may have had something to do with this decision to avoid any possibility of violence. On the 25th he met with Hendricks in New York, and both men issued statements rebuking elements within their party who were threatening to use force... 12/n

"Midwestern newspapers were hinting at the existence of a secret movement whose aim was to organize 250,000 armed Democrats for a march on Washington on inaugural day. Tilden let it be known he had assigned Hendricks the mission of restraining any such action in the West... 13/n

End of Brown book quote. And so the violence threatened never occurred. But we know what happened. A deal was struck in January 1877 in Washington's Wormley Hotel — owned by African-American James Wormley, who had trained as a chef in Paris — and the election went to Hayes. 14/n

But as part of the deal, federal troops were withdrawn from the South, and the voting rights progress that had been made during Reconstruction came to an end with white violence on African-Americans; Reconstruction came to an end. 15/n

And so in spite of a military defeat a decade earlier, in spite of the civil rights legislation in the intervening years, in spite of African-American senators and congressmen from southern states in those years, in the final analysis the Confederacy won the Civil War. 16/n

It would not be until the 1960s — when the two political parties had shifted demographics and allegiances — that any national progress at all would be made in civil rights. And it was about this time that the Republicans began to adopt the 'Southern Strategy.' 17/n

Which would lead the party and the U.S. to the precipice it now faces. 18/18