Why were many Southerners angered by the decision to award the 1876 election to Rutherford B. Hayes following several disputes regarding the electoral votes of Florida, South Carolina, Louisiana, and Oregon?

Question

A) Many Democrats in these states were prevented from voting by violence.
B) Hayes, a supporter of high tariffs, was awarded the votes of unincorporated territories.
C) African Americans in these states were disenfranchised by the use of literacy tests.
D) Tilden, the candidate supported by much of the South, won the popular vote.

Answer 1

D) Tilden, the candidate supported by much of the South, won the popular vote.

Many Southerners were angered by the decision to award the 1876 election to Rutherford B. Hayes because Samuel J. Tilden, the Democratic candidate, won the popular vote. However, due to the disputed electoral votes in several states, Hayes was ultimately awarded the presidency through a controversial compromise, which many in the South viewed as a betrayal of their support for Tilden. This perceived injustice contributed to the ongoing resentment in the Southern states.