Part the Last: Ballot Cast Jim McGill - A Pivotal Moment in American History

Prologue: A Nation on the Brink

The year was 1876, and the United States was on the cusp of a new era. The Civil War had ended just over a decade earlier, and the wounds of the conflict were still fresh. Reconstruction was underway, but the nation was deeply divided, and the scars of slavery ran deep.

In the midst of this tumultuous time, a presidential election was held that would forever be etched in the annals of American history. The two candidates were Rutherford B. Hayes, a Republican, and Samuel J. Tilden, a Democrat. The race was incredibly close, and the outcome would hinge on the results of a few key states.

Part 1: The Last Ballot Cast (Jim McGill series Book 4)

by Joseph Flynn

4.5 out of 5

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Enter Jim McGill

One of those key states was Florida. The election results in Florida were disputed, and a recount was ordered. The recount was conducted by a partisan board, and the results were highly controversial. In the end, the board awarded the state's electoral votes to Hayes, giving him a narrow victory in the Electoral College.

However, the Democrats refused to accept the results, and they claimed that Tilden had actually won the election. The dispute was taken to Congress, and a special commission was appointed to resolve the matter. The commission was made up of 15 members, seven Republicans and eight Democrats.

The commission met for several months, and they heard testimony from both sides. In the end, they voted along party lines, and the result was a tie. The decision was then thrown back to the House of Representatives, which was controlled by the Democrats.

The House voted to award the presidency to Tilden, but the Senate, which was controlled by the Republicans, refused to concur. The nation was now on the brink of a constitutional crisis.

In a desperate attempt to resolve the crisis, a compromise was reached. The Compromise of 1877 awarded the presidency to Hayes, but it also included a number of concessions to the Democrats. The most important concession was the end of Reconstruction in the South.

The Compromise of 1877 was a controversial agreement, but it did avert a constitutional crisis. It also marked the end of Reconstruction and the beginning of a new era in American history.

The Part the Last

The last ballot cast in the 1876 presidential election was cast by Jim McGill, a Republican elector from Louisiana. McGill's vote was the deciding vote that gave Hayes the victory in the Electoral College.

McGill was a controversial figure. He had been accused of corruption, and he was not well-liked by many of his fellow Republicans. However, he was a loyal party man, and he cast his vote for Hayes as he had been instructed.

McGill's vote was not without its consequences. He was ostracized by many of his former friends and colleagues, and he was eventually forced to leave Louisiana. He died in poverty in 1890, and his grave was unmarked for many years.

Today, Jim McGill is largely forgotten by history. However, his vote was a pivotal moment in American history. It helped to resolve a constitutional crisis and it marked the end of Reconstruction.

The story of Jim McGill is a reminder that even the smallest of actions can have a profound impact on history. McGill's vote was just one vote, but it helped to shape the course of American history.

Part 1: The Last Ballot Cast (Jim McGill series Book 4)

by Joseph Flynn

4.5 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	2502 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
X-Ray	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	337 pages
Lending	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported

FREE