1876 elections

The U.S. government’s biggest failure in regards to the Mississippi Plan was its inability to insure safe and proper voting procedures. Though the current laws lacked in clarity and comprehension, even the most exhaustive of laws are still useless if not enforced properly. The South was a conquered territory that still held many insurgents who violently opposed its victor’s rule and the U.S. government needed a more appropriate military presence. If every voter felt safe going to the polls, and confident in the counting of those votes, then the 1876 elections would have turned out much different. With southern black voters outnumbering white voters 735,000 to 635,000, politicians using a white supremacy platform would not make it to office. The government’s unpreparedness allowed the violent minority (a maximum of 635,000) to overrule the law-abiding majority (at least 735,000). This was not just a blow to Reconstruction but also a vital blow to our democratic government.