Editing Samuel J. Tilden (section)

===General election===
[[File:1876 U.S. presidential election, contested states.png|thumb|left|upright=1.5|In the aftermath of the 1876 election, the electoral votes of four states were disputed.]]

Per tradition, both Tilden and Hayes avoided publicly campaigning for president, leaving that task to their supporters; Tilden appointed [[Abram Hewitt]] to lead his campaign.<ref>Morris (2003), pp. 123, 131–132</ref> The Republican campaign established a major cash advantage, partly because Tilden refused to contribute much of his personal fortune to the campaign.<ref>Morris (2003), p. 121</ref> The Democrats campaigned on the theme of "retrenchment and reform" and attacked the "corrupt centralism" of the Grant administration.<ref name="morris118120"/> Tilden blamed high taxes and the Grant administration for the economic downturn, and, like Hayes, promised [[U.S. Civil Service Reform|civil service reform]] and hard money policies.<ref>White (2017), pp. 328–330</ref> Meanwhile, Republicans focused on their party's identification with Lincoln and the Union cause in the Civil War; many Republicans still associated the Democratic Party with slavery and disunion.<ref name="morris118120">Morris (2003), pp. 118–120</ref> Rebutting Republican charges, Tilden categorically denied that he had any intention of compensating the South for any slaves emancipated or losses suffered during the Civil War.<ref>Morris (2003), pp. 161–162</ref> For their part, many Democrats cared little for Tilden's emphasis on reform, and were instead focused on ending sixteen years of Republican leadership. Southern Democrats especially hoped to end [[Reconstruction Era|Reconstruction]] and gain control of South Carolina, Florida, and Louisiana, the last three "[[Redeemers|unredeemed]]" Southern states.<ref>Morris (2003), pp. 125–126, 146</ref> Southern whites, who overwhelmingly favored Tilden, used violence and intimidation to suppress the turnout of Republican-leaning [[African-American]] voters.<ref>White (2017), pp. 330–331</ref> Tilden worked to distance himself from violent encounters like the [[Hamburg massacre]], in which disgruntled Southern whites clashed with the Republican-led government of South Carolina.<ref>Morris (2003), pp. 129–131</ref>

Both campaigns considered New York, Ohio, and Indiana to be the key [[swing states]], but the campaigns also focused on several smaller states, including the three unredeemed Southern states.<ref>Morris (2003), pp. 155–156</ref> Ultimately, Hayes swept the West and won much of the North, but Tilden carried the closely contested Northern states of New York, New Jersey, Indiana, and Connecticut, swept the [[border states (American Civil War)|border states]], and carried most of the South.<ref name="Robinson 2001, pp. 126-127">Robinson (2001), pp. 126–127</ref> He had won a majority of the popular vote and tallied clear victories in seventeen states, leaving him one [[Electoral College (United States)|electoral vote]] short of a majority.<ref name="Robinson 2001, pp. 126-127"/> On November 6, the day after election day, most major newspapers reported that Tilden had won the election; however, Hayes still had a narrow path to victory if he could sweep the electoral votes of Florida, South Carolina, and Louisiana.<ref>Morris (2003), pp. 164–166</ref> Hayes refused to formally concede, but told members of the press that he was "of the opinion that the Democrats have carried the country and elected Tilden."<ref>Morris (2003), pp. 167–171</ref> Tilden, meanwhile, urged his alarmed followers, many of whom believed that the Republicans were attempting to steal the election, to remain calm and refrain from violence.<ref>{{cite book |last=Vile |first=John |date=2002 |title=Presidential Winners and Losers: Words Of Victory and Concession |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fZ0aAQAAIAAJ |location=Washington, DC |publisher=CQ Press |page=7 |isbn=978-1-5680-2755-5 |via=[[Google Books]] |quote=Tilden used private suasion rather than public speech to calm his supporters, some of whom were willing to use force on his behalf.}}</ref> Both parties feared the possibility that a dispute over the election would lead to armed conflict; Tilden discussed appointing General [[George B. McClellan]] as his military assistant, while President Grant ordered army and naval units to reinforce Washington.<ref>Morris (2003), pp. 172–174</ref>