Virginia SOL USII.2.f

Social Studies6th GradeEffects of Reconstruction

The Standard

explaining how the 1876 presidential election led to the end of Reconstruction

Virginia Standards of Learning for History and Social Science

Teacher's field guide

What Students Need to Do: Students trace how disputed electoral votes prevented a clear winner between Rutherford B. Hayes and Samuel Tilden. They explain how the settlement led to federal troops leaving the South and weakened protections for Black Americans.
What Mastery Looks Like: Students can place the disputed election, the congressional decision, Hayes's inauguration, and troop withdrawal in order. They can explain the cause and effect link between the political settlement and the collapse of federal enforcement in the South.
Common Misconceptions: Students may think Tilden became president because he won the popular vote, or that Reconstruction ended on election night. They may also treat the Compromise of 1877 as one clearly documented, signed agreement.
How to Assess It: Exit ticket: Explain in three sentences how disputed electoral votes, the selection of Hayes, and the withdrawal of federal troops were connected.

Lesson moves

Give pairs an 1876 election map and disputed electoral vote cards, then have them calculate how each possible ruling changes the winner.
Write a response to this prompt: How did settling an election dispute change life for Black citizens in the South?
Have teams arrange event cards into a cause-and-effect chain, then remove one card and identify the missing step.
Compare 1876 vote totals with 2016 totals, then write how the Electoral College can produce a winner without the popular vote.

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