Democrats took control of a chamber of Congress for the first time since 1859, winning a huge number of seats from House Republicans.

The Panic of 1873, a series of scandals, and an unpopular Congressional pay raise all damaged the Republican Party's brand.

With the passage of the Reconstruction Amendments, the importance of the parties' roles in the Civil War also receded in the minds of many.

Though Republicans won governorships in Northern states such as Pennsylvania, the election increased Democratic power in the South, which it later dominated after the end of Reconstruction.

[4] In the Senate, Democrats picked up several seats, but Republicans retained a commanding majority.