In class, we discussed how the Long Depression occurred right in the middle of reconstruction. I believe that it accelerated to demise of the project for a few reasons. First off, reconstruction was essentially over long before the depression. Grant's administration was corruptly handing out money for projects that never occurred or even started, meaning that the entire purpose of reconstruction was nullified. Additionally, the mindset of social and political equality went from a serious possibility to being seemingly impossible by the end of reconstruction. The Long Depression took projects that were unsuccessful and essentially never going to be completed, and took away their funding even more. It made the public skeptical of the results of the reconstruction projects, and made them and the banks keep their money rather than invest in the projects that would improve these conditions. Essentially, in economic terms, the reconstruction projects were finished before the depression, but the conditions simply deteriorated quicker with it. After the depression, when Hayes became president, the reconstruction period officially ended. However, before said depression, the results would be the same if it never had happened, just slower. Overall, I believe the depression did not reshape the course of the reconstruction, but it did hurry up the ending of it.
-Chavez Rodriguez
