10-3 Reconstruction Ends

“Redeeming” the South
In the 1870s, Southern Democrats had worked to regain control of their state and local governments from Republicans. Southern terrorist groups, such as the Ku Klux Klan and the Knights of the White Camellia, scared African American and white Republican voters. Some Democrats used different forms of election fraud. They stuffed ballot boxes and stole ballot boxes in Republican precincts. Southern Democrats called on all whites to help “redeem,” or save, the South from “Black Republican” rule.
Democrats appealed to white racism. They called elections a struggle between whites and African Americans. In this way, Democrats were able to win back the support of white owners of small farms who had supported Republicans. By 1876 the Democrats had taken control of all Southern state legislatures except those of Louisiana, South Carolina, and Florida. Those states had a large number of African American voters still protected by Union troops. Those voters were able to keep the Republicans in power.

Tell me two things you learned about “Redeeming” the South