Institutional racism reforms of the spoils system in place since the 1830s, and abuses of the post-war Grant-Jacksonian era; when Congress authorized the president to appoint a Civil Service Commission and prescribe regulations for admission to public service. A dis-satisfied office-seeker assassinated President Garfield in 1881 and Congress was motivated to pass the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act in 1883 which firmly established civil service. During reconstruction, this enabled the federal government to provide jobs for newly freed blacks in the south (primarily the Postal Service) where no other employment opportunities existed for them. Since the inception of the merit system in
1881 Courthouse Museum Custer Country Historical Society. The museum houses exhibits about the Lakota Native American culture, the 1874 expedition of George Custer, and the lives of Victorian-era settlers in the Black Hills and Dakota Territory. 1881 Courthouse Museum The 1881 Courthouse Museum is an American historical museum located in Custer, South Dakota. The museum is housed in the original Custer County Courthouse which served as a center for government in Custer County and the Dakota Territory from 1881 to 1973. In November 1972, the 3-story red-brick courthouse was designated a historic site by the U.S Department of Interior. Following completion of a