The Compromise of 1887 was a political agreement between the United States Congress and President Grover Cleveland that ended Reconstruction in the South. The compromise included several important measures, including the creation of a federal electoral commission to oversee elections and new voting laws that would protect African American rights. It also allowed for southern states to be readmitted into the Union after they agreed to abide by certain restrictions on their state governments, such as no longer allowing poll taxes or other forms of voter suppression.

The compromise was seen as necessary at the time because it brought an end to decades-long violence between whites and blacks in some areas throughout much of the south. By restoring order in these regions, many hoped it could help heal racial divisions caused by slavery and segregation while still protecting African Americans' right to vote without fear of intimidation or coercion from white supremacists. In addition, with all former Confederate states now back under US control again, this meant that Republicans had regained their majority status in both houses, allowing them to pass legislation more easily than when Democrats held power over most Southern legislatures.