Election of 1876
38 States
Official Returns
Rutherford B. Hayes Rep.
Popular Vote 4,036,572-48.0%
Electoral Vote 185*
Samuel J. Tilden Dem.
Popular Vote 4,284,020-51.0%
Electoral Vote 184
Peter Cooper Greenback Party
1% of popular vote
Disputed FL, NC, LA
The Election was one were the candidates agreed on most issues. This led to a great deal of attack on each other’s character. Early returns favored Tilden with 184 electoral votes and a 300,000 led in the popular vote. However three states were disputed. Democrats demanded, “a free ballot and a fair count”. On January 29, 1877 Congress appointed a Special Election Commission to resolve the issue. After Illinois Dem. David Davis turned his back on his party and sided with the Rep. Party the vote of the commission went 8-7 in favor of Hayes. The report was accepted on March 2, 1877 with the support of Southern Dem. who were give promises of a total withdraw of U.S. troops from
Reconstruction South.
Like
Election 2000, the Election of 1876 the nation remained divided on the issue of who really won.