The Centennial Scandal

The 1876 Presidential Election was among the most contentious and fraudulent ever. In many ways, it was the last battle of the Civil War. Governors Rutherford B. Hayes and Samuel J. Tilden seemed hopelessly deadlocked in a controversy over election results. After four months of chaos and just days before the Inauguration, a secret back-room deal was struck. In return for the Democrats consenting to a 185-184 Hayes electoral vote victory, the Republicans agreed to allow southern "Home Rule," resulting in decades of segregation and oppression. The results are felt to this day. This is the story of one of the most shameful events in U.S. history.