DBQ; Who Killed Reconstruction?

American History recalls the death of Reconstruction as a dark and conflicting time for all citizens, especially blacks. It is , therefore, quite ironic that the death of reconstruction can be traced back to the year 1876, the centennial  anniversary of Americans coming together as a nation and gaining independence from their previous rulers, the British empire. Reconstruction in this case was the governments attempt at reintegrating the southern states under laws that would be beneficial for the whole nation.The Reconstruction effort officially ended after the 1876 presidential election, which had the democrat Tilden who, although he won the popular vote,  eventually lost the election to the republican Hayes due to his victory in the electoral college. The end of reconstruction was also aided by the enactment of the Compromise of 1877, formally removing all federal troops from southern states. Taking these actions into account, is it possible for one half of the country, the north or the South, to retain greater responsibility for the death of reconstruction? Although both the North and the South are both partially to blame, the South is more responsible for the ultimate death of the Reconstruction.
The Northern states, although not as egregious in their contribution to the death of Reconstruction, should not be overlooked entirely. The north contributed to the death of Reconstruction in several ways, many of which are very different than how the south contributed. The first and foremost action taken by the North that helped kill Reconstruction was almost completely neglecting the efforts of the Reconstruction. An example of this neglect can be found when Ulysses S. Grant became president, as he shifted most of his efforts and resources towards weeding out corruption that had built up in the government over time. (Doc C) This left small amounts of resources that were able to be put towards aiding the reconstruction effort, and lead to a sharp drop in northern support for reconstruction. Also, throughout northern news and media, blacks were still being portrayed as dumb oafs unfit for government positions, or any positions of power at all. (Doc D) This shows that northern americans, although more open to the idea of freedom for all, most were not ready to accept Blacks as equals in any aspect, which just fueled the flame that helped immolate the Reconstruction.
The Southern states contributed to the death of Reconstruction, not only in similar ways as the North, but in different ways as well. The Southern states had a much tougher time trying to have the Reconstruction accepted by the population, as a large chunk of it was still bitter over being forced to release their slaves near the end of the Civil War. The bitterness of a few confederate veterans ended up spewing over as they formed the Klu Klux Klan, a pro-white terror group that would lead the charge against reconstruction in the south. The KKK tried to use fear to persuade blacks from participating in any of the freedoms they had been granted. One such action taken by the Klan was to intercept blacks before they were to vote, interrogate them to find out who they were to vote for, and if they disagreed with the blacks decision they did not hesitate to violently whip and beat the blacks. (Doc D) This awful abuse was able to scare many blacks from voicing their opinion on the Reconstruction, and aided in killing Reconstruction all together. The KKK was so ruthless in its efforts to defeat black’s rights that they even targeted whites who supported the Reconstruction. One such man targeted was senator John Stephens, who was stabbed multiple times and then hung from a hook in the grand jury room, all because he had spoken for the rights of blacks in America. (Doc A) This fear mongering scared many supporters away from speaking for Reconstruction,  and aided in its downfall.
To summarize, although both parties were major contributors towards the death of Reconstruction, it was the South that provided the proverbial killing blows to the Reconstruction, making them more responsible than the North for its demise.  The South was the birthplace of the KKK, a ruthless terror group that rampantly snuffed out large amounts of support for Reconstruction in the south, not afraid to target any man, regardless of skin color, as long as you were against their cause. The north contributed more by just ignoring the Reconstruction, not openly opposing it but instead focusing on other important topics during the time. Perhaps if the Reconstruction had been successful, racism and segregation in America might have been snuffed out completely by the start of the 20th century, instead of having to wait another sixty ought years for it to be even challenged. America may have been and might still be a simpler place to live if its inhabitants were able to look past the color of ones skin and see a person for whom they really are.