How did Reconstruction end and what were the consequences?

• A. The Civil War ended; Reconstruction began.
• B. The Emancipation Proclamation was issued.
• C. The Compromise of 1877 ended Reconstruction, leading to withdrawal of federal troops and the rise of Jim Crow laws.
• D. The 1964 Civil Rights Act was passed.

Answer: (C)

Ending Reconstruction came about through a political deal in 1877 that resolved the disputed 1876 election by promising that Rutherford B. Hayes would become president if federal troops were withdrawn from the South and federal enforcement of Reconstruction policies ended. With that withdrawal, Southern white governments could reassert control, and the era of federal protection for Black citizens faded. This opened the door to Jim Crow laws and widespread disenfranchisement, as Southern states rolled back many of the gains African Americans had made during Reconstruction, such as voting rights and political representation. The long-term result was a long stretch of legalized segregation and limited civil rights until the Civil Rights Movement of the mid-20th century began to challenge and dismantle these structures.

The Emancipation Proclamation predates this ending and was issued in 1863 during the Civil War, not at the close of Reconstruction. The Civil War itself ended earlier, marking the transition into Reconstruction, not its end. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 comes many decades later and reflects the ongoing struggle for rights rather than the termination of Reconstruction.