Changes

Political parties were in disarray in the late 1850s and were suspended during the Civil War. During Reconstruction, 1863-1877, the dominant [[Republican Party]] was a coalition of Freedmen (freed slaves), [[Carpetbaggers]] (new arrivals from the North), and [[Scalawags]] (white southerners), all supported by the U.S. Army. Violent confrontations led to the collapse of the Republican state governments in the 1870s; the last three fell in 1877. They were replaced by the [[Redeemers]], white Democrats allied to the [[Bourbon Democrats]] of the North.

Political parties were in disarray in the late 1850s and were suspended during the Civil War. During Reconstruction, 1863-1877, the dominant [[Republican Party]] was a coalition of Freedmen (freed slaves), [[Carpetbaggers]] (new arrivals from the North), and [[Scalawags]] (white southerners), all supported by the U.S. Army. Violent confrontations led to the collapse of the Republican state governments in the 1870s; the last three fell in 1877. They were replaced by the [[Redeemers]], white Democrats allied to the [[Bourbon Democrats]] of the North.

The Democrats repressed a Populist movement in the 1890s, and dominated every state with rare exceptions down to 1964.  The "Solid South" as political pundits called it, nearly always supported Democrat presidential candidates, except in 1928, 1952 and 1956.

The Democrats repressed a Populist movement in the 1890s and dominated every state with rare exceptions down to 1964.  The "Solid South" as political pundits called it, nearly always supported Democrat presidential candidates, except in 1928, 1952 and 1956.

While the majority of political scientists believe that the shift of the South to the Republican Party began in the 1960s, there is evidence that it really began in the 1920s and the 1950s. Elections Analyst Sean Trende explains, "the inescapable truth is that the GOP was making its greatest gains in the South while it was also pushing a pro-civil rights agenda nationally. What was really driving the GOP at this time was economic development. As Southern cities continued to develop and sprout suburbs, Southern exceptionalism was eroded; Southern whites simply became wealthy enough to start voting Republican."<ref>Trande, Sean (April 30, 2013). [http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2013/04/30/southern_whites_shift_to_the_gop_predates_the_60s_118172.html Southern Whites' Shift to the GOP Predates the '60s]. ''Real Clear Politics''. Retrieved September 9, 2016.</ref> Republican inroads into the South may be what prompted Lyndon Johnson to throw off 100 years of a racist tradition which was weakening, and had been the driving force binding Southern Democrats together.

While the majority of political scientists believe that the shift of the South to the Republican Party began in the 1960s, there is evidence that it really began in the 1920s and the 1950s.<ref name="SeanTrende"/> Elections Analyst Sean Trende explains, "the inescapable truth is that the GOP was making its greatest gains in the South while it was also pushing a pro-civil rights agenda nationally. What was really driving the GOP at this time was economic development. As Southern cities continued to develop and sprout suburbs, Southern exceptionalism was eroded; Southern whites simply became wealthy enough to start voting Republican."<ref name="SeanTrende">Trande, Sean (April 30, 2013). [http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2013/04/30/southern_whites_shift_to_the_gop_predates_the_60s_118172.html Southern Whites' Shift to the GOP Predates the '60s]. ''Real Clear Politics''. Retrieved September 9, 2016.</ref> Republican inroads into the South may be what prompted Lyndon Johnson to throw off 100 years of a racist tradition which was weakening and had been the driving force binding Southern Democrats together.

    

    

====1964 to 1992====

====1964 to 1992====

Since 1964, the South has become competitive. The Democrats' grip on the Solid South began to break down in the 1964 election, when all of the states in the deep south (with the exceptions of Florida and Texas) voted for [[Barry Goldwater]] who broke with his party to oppose the [[Civil Rights Act]]. President Johnson's homestate, Texas, remained Democrat. In 1965 federal legislation was enacted to scale back state impediments to black voter participation. In 1968, [[George Wallace]] swept the Deep South, with the exception of South Carolina which went Republican and Texas which remained Democrat. Republican [[Richard Nixon]] won the Southern states of North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, and Florida.

Since 1964, the South has become competitive. The Democrats' grip on the Solid South began to break down in the 1964 election, when all of the states in the deep south (with the exceptions of Florida and Texas) voted for [[Barry Goldwater]] who broke with his party to oppose the [[Civil Rights Act]]. President Johnson's home state, Texas, remained Democrat. In 1965 federal legislation was enacted to scale back state impediments to black voter participation. In 1968, [[George Wallace]] swept the Deep South, with the exception of South Carolina which went Republican and Texas which remained Democrat. Republican [[Richard Nixon]] won the Southern states of North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, and Florida.

In the 1976 election, Democrat contender [[Jimmy Carter]].<ref>[http://fisher.lib.virginia.edu/collections/stats/elections/maps/1976ec.gif 1976 Electoral Distribution].</ref> carried most of the region combining the black vote with a majority of evangelical whites. Beginning in 1972, the Solid South began a long string of picking the winner beginning with Richard Nixon (1972), Jimmy Carter (1976), [[Ronald Reagan]] (1980 & 84), and [[George H.W. Bush]] (1988).<ref>In 1980 Carter carried his home state of Georgia.</ref>

In the 1976 election, Democrat contender [[Jimmy Carter]].<ref>[http://fisher.lib.virginia.edu/collections/stats/elections/maps/1976ec.gif 1976 Electoral Distribution].</ref> carried most of the region combining the black vote with a majority of evangelical whites. Beginning in 1972, the Solid South began a long string of picking the winner beginning with Richard Nixon (1972), Jimmy Carter (1976), [[Ronald Reagan]] (1980 & 84), and [[George H.W. Bush]] (1988).<ref>In 1980 Carter carried his home state of Georgia.</ref>