The period of history known as Reconstruction took place from the end of the Civil War until after the election of President Rutherford P. Hayes in 1876.
With a compromise Hayes won the election, the federal government withdrew its troops from the South, and Southern Democrats re-entered the national political scene.
The Gilded Age was the period from the end of Reconstruction to the turn of the 20th century. Mark Twain coined the phrase Gilded Age, meaning a time of serious social problems hidden by a thin layer of gold, marked by huge wealth accumulated by a few with unethical business practices.
The Gilded Age was a time of enormous growth in the North and West. There was some growth in the South, but on a much smaller scale. The South was still recovering from the Civil War.
Railroads were the major industry.
There was a nationwide depression during the Panic of 1893. In response to heavy debts and decreasing farm prices, many farmers joined the Populist Party.
The South remained heavily rural and was much poorer than the North or West.
Many of the white farmers, and most of the blacks, were tenant farmers who owned their work animals and tools, and rented their land. Others were day laborers or sharecroppers, who worked under the supervision of the landowner. There was little cash in circulation, since most farmers operated on credit accounts from local merchants, and paid off their debts at harvest time in the fall.
There were small country churches everywhere.
Schools were small one-room schools. The only high schools were private academies.
Every Southern state and city passed Jim Crow laws that were in operation between 1876 and 1965. They mandated segregation in all public facilities. Schools for blacks were fewer and poorly supported by taxpayers.
For further information on this time period in Henderson County, click on the following links.
Black HIstory Post-Civil War to 1900
Political Leaders 1860 to 1900
Sheriffs, Town Marshals 1860 to 1900
Homes, Transportation and Communication