The Compromise of 1877 was an important moment in the history of the South, and it changed a lot about how things were after the Civil War. Here’s a simple breakdown of what happened because of this agreement:

Withdrawal of Federal Troops

• The Compromise meant that federal troops, who were there to protect the rights of newly freed Black people, had to leave the South.
• Before this, about 25,000 federal troops were stationed in the South. When they left, Southern states could take back control.

Rise of White Supremacy

• Without federal support, groups that believed in white supremacy, like the Ku Klux Klan, became stronger.
• These groups, which started in 1865, used violence and fear to stop Black people from voting and to keep racial segregation in place.
• From 1867 to 1876, violence from these groups led to a drop of over 80% in Black people voting in many Southern states.

Political Shift

• Southern Democrats took back control of state governments, which led to new laws called Jim Crow laws.
• By the 1880s, all Southern states had these laws that forced racial segregation.

Economic Impact

• With federal money gone, the South struggled to improve its economy.
• Most Black farmers became sharecroppers, which meant they worked on white-owned land but ended up in deep debt—about 75% of them faced this problem.

Long-term Consequences

• The changes after the Compromise set a foundation for ongoing racism that lasted many years.
• African Americans continued to face unfair treatment and barriers to voting, a struggle that would go on until the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s.

In summary, the Compromise of 1877 ended the progress made during the Reconstruction Era. It brought in a time of oppression and unfairness in the South.