Final answer:
Reconstruction ended in 1876, when Rutherford B. Hayes became president and federal troops withdrew from the South, marking a shift in national focus away from integrating former slaves as equal citizens.
Step-by-step explanation:
When Did Reconstruction End?
The period known as Reconstruction concluded when the United States shifted its focus from the integration of former slaves as equal citizens to other national issues. This shift accompanied the resurgence of white Democratic control over Southern politics. Reconstruction's decline was marked by the diminishing presence of federal troops, increasing violence and intimidation by white conservatives, and economic strife highlighted by the Depression of 1873. The contentious presidential election of 1876 was a turning point, as Republican Rutherford B. Hayes was awarded the presidency in a compromise that included the withdrawal of federal troops from the South. By 1876, most troops had already left, signaling the definitive end of Reconstruction.
The Reconstruction Experience was tumultuous and often traumatic for those in the South. The physical devastation from the Civil War, along with shortages and socio-political turmoil, led to widespread suffering across racial, gender, and socioeconomic lines. The uncertainty of the South's future after the war and differing opinions on whether to heal or punish the former Confederate states contributed to this complex period.