Samuel Tilden

Definition

Samuel Tilden was a prominent American politician who played a significant role in the context of political corruption in Postbellum America. He was a lawyer and Democratic politician who served as the governor of New York and ran for president in 1876, where he faced allegations of electoral fraud.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Samuel Tilden was the Democratic nominee for president in the 1876 election, running against Republican Rutherford B. Hayes.
2. Tilden won the popular vote but lost the electoral college vote after a controversial and disputed recount process in several Southern states.
3. The Compromise of 1877 resulted in Tilden's defeat, as it awarded the presidency to Hayes in exchange for the withdrawal of federal troops from the South, effectively ending Reconstruction.
4. Tilden was a prominent critic of the corruption and patronage system of Tammany Hall, the powerful Democratic political machine in New York City.
5. Tilden's political career was marked by his efforts to reform and clean up the political system, which earned him the support of reformers and anti-corruption activists.

Review Questions

• Describe the role of Samuel Tilden in the disputed 1876 presidential election and the Compromise of 1877.
  • Samuel Tilden, the Democratic nominee, won the popular vote in the 1876 presidential election, but the electoral college outcome was disputed in several Southern states. The Compromise of 1877 ultimately awarded the presidency to Republican Rutherford B. Hayes in exchange for the withdrawal of federal troops from the South, effectively ending Reconstruction. This compromise was seen as a political bargain that denied Tilden the presidency despite his popular vote victory, reflecting the broader political corruption and patronage system of the Gilded Age.
• Explain how Samuel Tilden's political career and reform efforts were connected to the issue of political corruption in Postbellum America.
  • As a prominent critic of the Tammany Hall political machine in New York City, Samuel Tilden was known for his efforts to clean up the widespread corruption and patronage system that characterized the Gilded Age. Tilden's reform-minded approach and his opposition to the corrupt practices of Tammany Hall aligned him with the broader anti-corruption movement of the time. His defeat in the 1876 presidential election, despite winning the popular vote, was seen by many as a triumph of the corrupt political establishment over reformist efforts, underscoring the challenges of addressing political corruption in Postbellum America.
• Analyze the lasting impact of the Tilden-Hayes election of 1876 and the Compromise of 1877 on the political landscape of Postbellum America.
  • The disputed 1876 election between Tilden and Hayes, and the subsequent Compromise of 1877, had far-reaching consequences for the political landscape of Postbellum America. The compromise, which awarded the presidency to Hayes in exchange for the withdrawal of federal troops from the South, effectively marked the end of Reconstruction and the abandonment of efforts to protect the rights of freed slaves. This, in turn, allowed the resurgence of white supremacy and the establishment of the Jim Crow system in the South, undoing much of the progress made during the Reconstruction era. The Tilden-Hayes election also highlighted the persistent issues of political corruption and the power of machine politics, which continued to shape the Gilded Age and the broader political dynamics of the late 19th century.

Related terms

Tammany Hall: Tammany Hall was a powerful Democratic political machine in New York City that was known for its widespread corruption and patronage system.

Compromise of 1877: The Compromise of 1877 was a deal made between Democrats and Republicans to resolve the disputed 1876 presidential election, which resulted in the end of Reconstruction and the withdrawal of federal troops from the South.

Gilded Age: The Gilded Age was a period in American history from the 1870s to the early 1900s characterized by rapid industrialization, economic growth, and widespread political corruption.