Reconstruction was a failure largely because of division among Republicans about the purpose of reconstruction and a fervent backlash against reconstruction by former Confederates. Lincoln envisioned reconstruction as a means of weakening the power of former Confederates in the southern states while more radical Republicans viewed reconstruction as a means of ensuring more racial equality. This became more complicated after Lincoln was assassinated, as Andrew Johnson opposed more robust reconstruction measures and took a much more lenient attitude toward former Confederates. Johnson's actions allowed for the development of black codes and the suppression of black voices in the public square in southern states, undermining the purposes of reconstruction envisioned both by Lincoln and by more radical Republicans. Johnson's stubbornness ultimately led to the passage of the Civil Rights Act over his veto (and also led to his later impeachment by the House of Representatives).
In response to Johnson's handling of reconstruction, the more radical branch of the Republican party pressed for a more forceful reconstruction effort. This led to violent backlashes in the southern states, including the creation of the Ku Klux Klan. The rash of terrorism perpetrated by the KKK and other groups like it, combined with complaints about governance in southern states (often falsely blamed solely on African American politicians) caused support for reconstruction to ebb until the election of Rutherford Hayes. Disputes over the returns of a few southern states ultimately led to a compromise position in which the representatives of the disputed states agreed to allow congressional certification of Hayes's victory in exchange for the removal of federal troops supporting reconstruction and the acknowledgement of new Democratic governments in those states.
More details can be obtained from the link below, which was written by Eric Foner, one of the foremost experts on the Reconstruction period.
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