Rutherford B. Hayes
| Rutherford B. Hayes | |
|---|---|
| File:Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Portrait.jpg | |
| Order | 19th President of the United States |
| In office | March 4, 1877 – March 4, 1881 |
| Vice President | William A. Wheeler |
| Preceded by | Ulysses S. Grant |
| Succeeded by | James A. Garfield |
| Born | October 4, 1822 Delaware, Ohio, United States |
| Political Party | Republican |
| Spouse | Lucy Webb Hayes (m. 1852–1889) |
| Children | 8 |
| Profession | Lawyer, politician, soldier |
| Alma mater | Kenyon College Harvard Law School |
| Signature | File:Rutherford B. Hayes Signature.svg |
Rutherford Birchard Hayes (October 4, 1822 – January 17, 1893) was the 19th president of the United States, serving from 1877 to 1881. He is best remembered for ending Reconstruction and restoring a level of national unity following the divisive Civil War era.
Early Life and Career
Born in Ohio, Hayes became a successful lawyer and served as an officer in the Union Army during the Civil War. He was wounded multiple times and rose to the rank of brevet major general. After the war, he served in the U.S. House of Representatives and as governor of Ohio.
Controversial Election of 1876
Hayes lost the popular vote to Democrat Samuel J. Tilden but won the presidency after a disputed election resolved by the Compromise of 1877. In exchange for Democratic support, Hayes agreed to withdraw federal troops from the South, effectively ending Reconstruction.
Presidency (1877–1881)
Key aspects of Hayes’s presidency include:
- Ending Reconstruction and attempting to promote racial reconciliation
- Advocating for civil service reform and merit-based hiring
- Vetoing the Bland-Allison Act, which promoted inflationary silver coinage (his veto was overridden)
- Managing the Great Railroad Strike of 1877, the first major nationwide labor strike
Later Life and Legacy
Hayes declined to run for re-election and retired to Ohio, where he promoted education, prison reform, and veterans’ causes. He died in 1893.
His presidency remains controversial for the way it ended Reconstruction, but he is also credited with restoring trust in the executive office after the scandals of the Grant administration.