Born in the U.S.A. (Bruce Springsteen)

History's Best Selling Products of 1877

1. The Compromise of 1877 Documents

   Released in 1877 by US Electoral Commission, United States Congress

   The Compromise of 1877 documents represent a pivotal turning point in American history, marking the formal conclusion of the Reconstruction era. Born out of the intensely disputed 1876 presidential election between Republican Rutherford B. Hayes and Democrat Samuel J. Tilden, these resolutions effectively traded the presidency for the withdrawal of federal troops from the last remaining Southern states. This act had devastating and long-lasting consequences, particularly for African Americans in the South, as it signaled the federal government's abandonment of its commitment to protecting their newly acquired civil rights. The year 1877 thus stands as a tragic watershed, initiating decades of systemic oppression under Jim Crow laws and severely undermining the progress made during Reconstruction. It cemented a political arrangement that prioritized sectional peace over racial justice.