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Early Life
Rutherford Birchard Hayes was born and raised
in Ohio by a moralistic single mother after his
father died ten weeks before Rutherford was born.
" Rud" developed a very close relationship
with his sister, Fanny Hayes, who encouraged him
to pursue law as a career. With the help of a
wealthy uncle, Hayes went to Harvard Law School,
and then made a name for himself as a successful
criminal defense lawyer. He married Lucy Ware
Webb, a girl who came from a wealthy, liberal,
and politically active family. Lucy was a strong
believer in the abolition of slavery, in women's
rights, and in temperance (her nickname was "Lemonade
Lucy") and she influenced her husband to
believe strongly in these causes as well. When
the Civil War broke out, Hayes was already nearly
forty and the father of three with a fourth on
the way. Nevertheless, he was one of the first
volunteers, stating that he would rather die in
the conflict than live having done nothing for
the Union. Using his political connections, Hayes
was appointed a major in the 23rd Ohio Volunteers.
An officer with no military |
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experience, he had
to work hard to gain the respect of the enlisted
men, a task he accomplished with his "intense
and ferocious" demeanor on the battlefield.
At the Battle of Winchester, he captured an artillery
position in hand to hand combat. Hayes turned down safe desk jobs
and higher ranked positions with other regiments because
he was so loyal to the 23rd. Wounded five times in the
war, Hayes kept coming back to the fight, and by the
end of the conflict he was a major general awarded a
medal for "gallant and distinguished services."
During this time, he was asked to run for the U.S. House
of Representatives. Hayes refused to campaign, stating
that "an officer fit for duty who at this crisis
would abandon his post to electioneer for a seat in
Congress ought to be scalped." When word came to
him across telegraph wires that he had been elected,
Hayes responded that Congress would have to wait; there
was a war to be won.
Early Political Career
After the Civil War, Hayes served as member of the U.S.
House of Representatives (1865-68). He voted in favor
of Andrew Johnson's impeachment. He was elected as governor
of Ohio in 1868 and was twice reelected. Republicans
quickly recognized Hayes as presidential material. |
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Election
of 1876
The election of 1876 came down to a fight between
Hayes and Democrat Samuel Tilden of New York in
one of the most hostile, controversial campaigns
in American history (until 2000). Tilden won the
popular vote and led in the electoral college, 184-166, but 19 votes from three Republican-controlled
states (Louisiana, Florida, and South Carolina)
remained disputed. Oregon's count was also challenged.
Allegations of widespread voter fraud forced Congress
to set up a special electoral commission to determine
the winner, composed of fifteen congressmen and
Supreme Court justices. The commission finally
announced their decision only two days before
the inauguration. The vote was 8-7 along party
lines to award the disputed electoral college
votes to Hayes, making him the winner. Southern
Democrats threatened rebellion over what they
saw as a stolen election, forcing a deal to placate
them. The deal is often referred to as "The
Compromise of 1877." Even so, Democrats
sneered at the deal, dubbing Hayes "Rutherfraud"
and "His Fraudulency." |
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"Is This a Republican form of government?", Harper's Weekly, September 2, 1876, by Thomas Nast
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"He Wants Change Too," Harper's Weekly, October 28, 1876, by Thomas Nast |
Engraving of Black Americans Voting in Richmond, Virginia, 1876 |
During the disputed 1876 South Carolina Gubernatorial campaign, blacks force their way into the legislative chamber |
 "Compromise--Indeed!", Harper's Weekly, January 27, 1876, by Thomas Nast |
"A Truce--Not a Compromise," Harper's Weekly, February 17, 1877, by Thomas Nast |
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A Man (and Woman) of Principles
The Hayes family was religious and clean-living.
President Hayes did not drink or smoke, and. Lucy Hayes refused to serve any alcohol at White House affairs. College
educated, politically astute, and a champion
of social causes, Lucy Hayes was the first celebrity
first lady since Dolly Madison. Though she dressed
simply and wore no cosmetics, she was greatly
esteemed by the public. One article praised
her compassion after a trip with the president
to the former Confederacy: "Southern women,
who hated the very name Northerner, put their
arms around her neck, and poured their bitterness
and sorrow into her ears."
Issue: The End of Reconstruction
The policies of Rutherford B. Hayes, America's
19th president, began to heal the nation after
the ravages of the Civil War. He was well suited
to the task, having earned a steadfast reputation
for integrity throughout his |
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| career as a soldier
and a statesman. Hayes had a reputation for
being upstanding, moral, and honest, despite
the controversial election. Much of Hayes's 1877 inaugural
address was devoted to calming down the
citizenry. He quickly announced plans for election
reform and pledged his earnest desire to heal
the rift between North and South. Though he
had generally supported Reconstruction, which
aimed to secure the rights of black citizens,
Hayes came to believe that interventionist policies were breeding more hatred among
southerners, preventing the nation from healing itself
in the aftermath of war. One month after taking office,
Hayes ordered federal
troops out of the South, ending Reconstruction altogether
and allowing the Democratic Party to sweep in and assert
total dominance of the region. The Democratic hold on
the South resulted in a complete denial of rights for
blacks, including the right to vote, for nearly a century. |
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