The Presidency of Rutherford B. Hayes can be seen as a defining moment in the history of the United States and for African-Americans in the history of the United States. African-Americans were better off before Hayes’s presidency because from the start of his term he allowed, by giving up on Reconstruction and allowing Southern whites to regain control of government, the impediment of the African-American advance in American society. The 1876 election was arguably the most hotly contested presidential race the country had ever seen. The Democratic candidate, Samuel J. Tilden of New York, defeated the Republican candidate, Rutherford Hayes of Ohio, in the popular vote. Tilden also had 184 electoral votes to Hayes' 165, with 20 votes yet uncounted. But these 20 electoral votes were in the midst of a heavy dispute: in three states (Florida, Louisiana, and South Carolina) the dispute was over the fact that each party was declaring that there candidate had won the state. The votes were ultimately awarded to Hayes after bitter debate and negotiations. What many historians believe happened was that an informal deal was struck to resolve the problem. In return for the South giving Hayes the election, the Republicans agreed to withdraw federal troops from the South, effectively ending Reconstruction. This deal became known as the Compromise of 1877. Soon after the compromise, African-Americans were barred from voting throughout the South by legal tactics known as poll taxes and grandfather clauses. This Compromise effectively pushed African-Americans out of the power they had begun to gain in Southern governments and brought them into an era that robbed them of all they had earned socially and politically. The African-American society can be considered to have been better off before the presidency of Hayes because of the opportunities that were out there for African-Americans during Reconstruction. During Reconstruction they were given many opportunities and allowed to...