The US Presidential Election of 1876–1877

Abstract This chapter examines the presidential election of 1876–77, one of the most disputed of such contests in US history, where each party claimed its presidential candidate duly elected and saber-rattlers threatened mob action or military force to back up their choice. After much stage-thunder, however, the storm never broke, but the outcome had far-reaching consequences. It reinforced the tradition of the losing party accepting the Electoral College’s decision as valid, even when the defeated candidate carried more popular votes, while shrinking the bounds of American democracy for many generations to come. The chapter examines the circumstances surrounding the election and the process that led to the settlement of the electoral dispute.