Question

question 2 of 10

president _____ believed that the federal government should not interfere with state laws to protect black americans civil rights.

a. grover cleveland
b. rutherford b. hayes
c. benjamin harrison
d. chester arthur

Explanation:

Analyze the historical context

The question asks about a President who believed the federal government should not interfere with state laws to protect Black Americans' civil rights. This philosophy of returning "home rule" to the South and withdrawing federal intervention marked the end of the Reconstruction Era.

Evaluate the presidential candidates

• Rutherford B. Hayes assumed office following the highly contested Election of 1876. To secure the presidency, his allies agreed to the Compromise of 1877, which involved withdrawing the remaining federal troops from the South.
• Hayes believed that the federal government should step back and allow Southern state governments to manage their own local affairs, trusting (naively) that they would respect the civil rights of Black citizens without federal enforcement. This policy of non-interference effectively ended Reconstruction and allowed the rise of Jim Crow Laws and disenfranchisement.

Confirm the correct option

Among the choices provided:

• Grover Cleveland, Benjamin Harrison, and Chester Arthur served later in the Gilded Age.
• Rutherford B. Hayes is the president most directly associated with the formal policy shift of ending federal intervention in Southern states to protect civil rights.

Answer:

• (A) Grover Cleveland
• (B) Rutherford B. Hayes (Correct answer)
• (C) Benjamin Harrison
• (D) Chester Arthur