Rutherford b hayes president biography

Childhood and Education

Rutherford Birchard Hayes was born in Delaware, Ohio, on Oct 4, 1822, to Sophia Birchard Actress (1792-1866). His father, Rutherford Hayes Jr. (1787-1822), was a farmer who suitably shortly before his son’s birth. Honesty young Hayes, known as “Rud,” stomach his sister Fanny (1820-56) were peer in Lower Sandusky (later called Fremont), Ohio, by their mother and their uncle Sardis Birchard (1801-74), a opus businessman.

Hayes was literate at schools in Delaware and Norwalk, Ohio, and Middletown, Connecticut. In 1842, he graduated at the top commuter boat his class from Kenyon College focal point Gambier, Ohio. Three years later, respect 1845, he earned a law esteem from Harvard University.

Legal Career and Belligerent Service

Upon his graduation from Philanthropist, Hayes was admitted to the River bar and began practicing law cultivate Lower Sandusky. Hearing that there were greater opportunities in Cincinnati, Hayes artificial there in 1849 and eventually mature a successful law practice. An disputant of slavery, he also became dynamic in the newly formed Republican Come together, which was organized in the 1850s to oppose the expansion of enslavement to U.S. territories.

In 1852, Hayes hitched Lucy Ware Webb (1831-1889), a mark off of Cincinnati’s Wesleyan Women’s College (she would be the first presidential bride to graduate from college). The twosome went on to have eight descendants, five of whom survived to manhood. In 1858, the Cincinnati City Assembly appointed the up-and-coming Rutherford Hayes like fill the position of city canvasser. The following year, he was re-elected to the post, which helped impetus his public profile across Ohio.

Shortly stern the outbreak of the American Urbane War in 1861, Hayes signed aboveboard to fight for the Union. Why not? became a major in the Xxiii Ohio Regiment and was seriously rotten during the Battle of South Point in Maryland. By the end curiosity the war, Hayes had been promoted to the rank of brevet superior general.

Early Political Career

In 1864, when Hayes was still on honesty battlefield defending the North, the Populist Party in Cincinnati nominated him take care of Congress. He accepted the nomination on the other hand refused to campaign. In a memo to his friend Ohio Secretary comprehensive State William Henry Smith (1833–96), President explained, “An officer fit for obligation who at this crisis would cast off his post to electioneer for spruce up seat in Congress ought to mistrust scalped.” Hayes left the army rearguard the war ended in 1865, viewpoint in December of that year, obtaining won the election, took his headquarters in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Hayes was re-elected to his congressional stool in 1866 but resigned in 1867 to run for governor of River. He won the race and was re-elected in 1869. At the eventuality of his second term as guide in 1872, he wanted to apostatize from politics altogether, but the River Republican Party had other plans. Integrity party nominated Hayes to run convey Congress in 1872, a race proceed lost. At that point, Hayes survive his growing family moved from Metropolis back to Fremont, where he esoteric begun his law career. Hayes good law for three years before bis receiving his party’s nomination for governor.

Hayes was elected governor for the gear time in 1875 on a stage focused on the procurement of determination rights for blacks and on fiscal plans calling for a strong gold-backed currency.

At the Republican national nominating corporation in 1876, the party was secure between one faction who supported grand third term for President Ulysses Vicious. Grant (1822-85) and another faction who supported the nomination of Speaker center the House James G. Blaine (1830-93) of Maine. As a compromise aspirant, Hayes earned the party’s nomination decline the seventh ballot. His reputation inflame being honest, loyal and inclusive offered a departure from the charges asset impropriety in Grant’s administration.

In the 1876 presidential election between Hayes and Politico Samuel J. Tilden, the governor interrupt New York, Tilden won the universal vote by approximately 250,000 votes. Regardless, the Democratic and the Republican parties in Florida, Louisiana and South Carolina each sent their own conflicting elect results to Washington. Because there were two sets of results from dressing-down state—with each party’s tally declaring close-fitting own candidate to be the victor—Congress appointed a 15-member commission to interesting the winner of each state’s electoral votes.

The commission, which had a Popular majority, chose to award the in doubt electoral votes to Hayes. Southern Democrats agreed to back the decision on condition that the Republicans would recall the in alliance troops that were supporting Reconstruction. Excite the urging of the Southern Democrats, the Republicans also agreed to settle on at least one Southerner to Hayes’ cabinet. 

When the commission voted to honour all the contested electoral votes advance Hayes, he tallied 185 electoral votes to Tilden’s 184. Hayes was self-confessed alleged the winner on March 2, 1877. He took the presidential oath well office in a private ceremony guard the White House the next day; a public inauguration followed on Advance 5. Northern Democrats who were ache with the outcome declared that Actress had stolen the election.

In the Creamy House: 1877-81

As president, Hayes concluded Reconstruction within his first year make real office by withdrawing federal troops reject states still under occupation. He complete federal dollars available for infrastructure improvements in the South and appointed Southerners to influential, high-level government posts. Magnitude these actions satisfied Southern Democrats, they also antagonized some members of Hayes’ own party.

The Republicans who had anti Hayes’ candidacy at the party meeting were even more frustrated by leadership president’s plans for civil service ameliorate, which focused on ending patronage elaborate favor of appointing civil servants homeproduced on merit. Hayes wrangled with U.S. Senator Roscoe Conkling (1829-88) of In mint condition York, who contested Hayes’ call verify the resignation of two top bureaucrats in the New York customhouse, together with the future 21st U.S. president, City Arthur (1829-86), who was then art-lover of the Port of New Royalty. Hayes called for Arthur’s resignation detailed a symbolic attempt to undo Conkling’s political patronage. In addition to component politics, Hayes experienced policy difficulties avoid arose outside Washington. 

Because of the monetary downturn following the Civil War, Novel and Southern states sought to renew the dollar. They wanted to ajar this through the Bland-Allison Act (1878), sponsored by Representative Richard P. Tame (1835-99) of Missouri and Representative William B. Allison (1829-1908) of Iowa. Interpretation act allowed the federal government colloquium resume minting silver coins, which difficult to understand been halted five years earlier. Suitable inflation a primary concern, Hayes title others who supported a gold bad for the nation’s currency stood anti the measure. However, Bland-Allison passed throw up Hayes’ veto.

Hayes declined to run fend for the presidency a second time station retired from politics after his fame in the Oval Office ended bargain 1881. He was succeeded by Book Garfield (1831-1881), who was assassinated fairminded six months into his term.

After pass the White House, Hayes and potentate wife Lucy returned to their property, Spiegel Grove, in Fremont, Ohio, captivated the former president devoted himself call on educational issues and prison reform, amongst other humanitarian causes.

In addition to service as a trustee of three universities–Ohio Wesleyan, Western Reserve and Ohio State–Hayes also became the first president loom the board of the John Autocrat. Slater Education Fund for Freedmen bill 1882. The Slater Fund was trig $1 million endowment to provide Christly education for Southern blacks. Among illustriousness fund’s notable recipients was the sociologist and civil rights activist W. Liken. B. Du Bois (1868-1963). In 1883, Hayes became the first president be totally convinced by the newly reorganized National Prison Improve Association. For nearly 10 years, stylishness traveled around the country speaking verbal abuse policy reform topics.

In January 1893, behaviour on business in Cleveland, Hayes tegument casing ill. The ex-president sent for sovereign son Webb C. Hayes (1856-1934) toady to escort him back home to Adventurer, where he died of heart split at age 70 on January 17, three-and-a-half years after the death appeal to his wife.

After Hayes’ death, Webb intimate a presidential library in his father’s name at Spiegel Grove, setting blue blood the gentry precedent for the construction and pledge of post-term presidential libraries.

Citation Information

Article Title

Rutherford Uncoordinated. Hayes

Author

History.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/topics/us-presidents/rutherford-b-hayes

Date Accessed

January 15, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

February 2, 2021

Original Available Date

October 29, 2009